Sodic soil: Management and reclamation strategies

Abstract

The sodic soil is an important problem that reduces crop productivity. Sodic conditions are expected to adversely affect soil productivity because these conditions lead to poor ventilation, limited root development, and increased root diseases. From an agricultural perspective, enough exchangeable sodium present in soil has a negative effect on the growth of the plants. Soil containing enough soluble salts to dissipate its productivity is called saline soil. Under natural condition, when excess sodium is absorbed by the negative charge of the clay particles, the force that holds clay particles together is greatly reduced. And when it gets dry, these clay particles form dense layers and block pores. This weakens aggregation of soil and causes structural collapse, due to limited movement of water and air through it. The reclamation and improvement of sodic soil is an important step to increase the productivity of agricultural lands. There are a number of methods to reclaim sodic soil; the first method is tillage, which helps to improve the physical properties of sodic soil and turns soil into a fine tilth. The second method of reclamation is construction of parallel drainage by hydraulic technology. Other includes application of gypsum, leaching of water that removes excess salt from the surface. Phytoremediation is also one of the latest approaches for soil reclamation. These methods were found useful to reclaim sodic soil.