Future Research Needs: Way Forward for Combating Salinity in Climate Change Scenario

Abstract

Climate change, land degradation and food insecurity are serious challenges to mankind in the twenty-first century. Globally, significant cultivable area is far behind from their actual productivity potential due to soil salinity and alkalinity problems. Climate change further makes the situation more complex. To feed the burgeoning population of the country, these degraded salt-affected lands need to be reclaimed and brought under productive cultivation. Therefore, an attempt has been made to collate information on salinization processes, existing reclamation management practices and some innovative ideas such as use of flue gas desul- furization (FGD) gypsum, marine gypsum, polymers, nano-clay, nano-gypsum, municipal solid composts etc. for sodic soil reclamation. Also for saline soil management, low-cost subsurface drainage using cut soiler with crop residues as drainage material, land shaping technology, etc. have been discussed. Mention has also been made on hyperspectral remote sensing for delineation of salt- affected soil and modelling aspects for salinity/alkalinity studies for formulating proper reclamation strategies. There are many future researchable issues which have also been mentioned which would be helpful to the researchers in combating salinity under climate change scenario and help to achieve the sustainable devel- opment goals of the United Nations. Keywords