Division of Agricultural Physics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi
Emergence of soybean, cotton and maize seedlings in salt-affected soils was significantly increased by frequent irrigations and by application of straw mulch and gypsum. The higher emergence counts under these treatments were associated with an increase in soil-moisture contents and reduction of crust strengths. Soils having higher values of pH and exchangeable Na showed significantly higher crust strength and lower emergence of seedlings.
Crust strength, frequent irrigations, straw mulch, gypsum, salt-affected soils
