Sustainable Land Management Practices for Mitigation of On-Farm Salinity : A Review

Abstract

Salinization is one of the major land degradation processes, particularly in arid and semi-arid ecosystems, and the salinization process is further accelerated by unscientific soil and water management practices in irrigated agriculture. High concentrations of salts in the soil solution affect the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils and thus lead to reduced crop productivity. The area under land degradation caused by salinity is increasing day by day as a result of global climate change, necessitating serious efforts to manage salinity at the farm level in order to meet the growing food demand of the world's growing population. The average yield of most of the crops remains between 20-50% of their potential yields, depending on the concentration and nature of the salts. A wide range of adaptations and mitigation strategies for salinity management at the farm level are required to cope with such impacts by enhancing crop and water productivity. Some of the on-farm salinity management options, viz., crop management, root zone salinity management using leaching requirements of salt, multi-quality and method on farm irrigation management, subsurface drainage technology, saline aquaculture, the introduction of salt-tolerant microbes, alternate land use and nutrient management strategies available for alleviating hazards, and sustainable salinity management based on available resources in salt-affected soil, can help to overcome salinity stress and maintain or restore soil health for better crop growth.