How does irrigation cause salinization

Always consult with local experts before implementing as limitations may apply. As salinity is responsible for the structural collapse of soil aggregates into their components it is closely linked to other soil degradation issues.

Salinity is often associated with prolonged wetness and lack of surface cover and therefore increases the vulnerability of soils to erosion. Salt interacts with animals and plants, changing the ecological health of land, streams and estuaries. The greatest threat to biodiversity is from the loss of habitat both on land and in water. Threats to soil quality in Europe. EUR EN. Office for Official Publication of the European Communities.

Agriculture and water quality interactions: a global overview. EUR EN; doi Panagea, I. Evaluation of promising technologies for soil salinity amelioration in Timpaki Crete : a participatory approach. Solid Earth, 7 1 , Remote sensing of soil salinity: potentials and constraints. Irrigation salinity occurs where saline groundwater tables rise, under the direct influence of irrigation, to a level which limits plant growth. The major causes of irrigation salinity are: excess use of irrigation water; inefficient water use; poor drainage; irrigation of inappropriate soils; and, seepage from irrigation channels, drains and water storages.

Any of these may lead to a rise in the watertable. If the ground water is inherently salty, or if there are salt stores in the soil below the root zone, saline water can invade the root zone and result in irrigation salinity. The State of Victoria. Among the common crops that have a high salt tolerance are red beets, spinach , kale, asparagus, sugar beets, barley , cotton, date palms , and some grasses used for animal feed, such as wild rye and wheat grass.

Crops that have a low tolerance for salinity include radishes, celery, green beans, fruits such as pears, apples, oranges, grapefruit, plums, apricots, peaches, strawberries, lemons, and avocados, and a number of clovers that are used for animal grazing. Areas in the world where farming is threatened by high salinity include the Indus Basin in Pakistan where they also face the problem of a rising water table. The Imperial Valley in California, formerly productive agricultural lands in South America, China, India, Iraq, and many other regions throughout the world are all facing the threat of losing fertile land because of salinization.

After the building of the Aswan Dam in Egypt, the Nile River and the surrounding fields that had been irrigated successfully for over 5, years became threatened by high salinity in the water.