An Introduction to Salinity and Sodicity.

Authors: WESTHOFF, SHAINA - South Dakota State University; CLAY, DAVID - South Dakota State University; OSTERLOH, KRISTOPHER - South Dakota State University; CLAY, SHARON - South Dakota State University; DESUTTER, THOMAS - North Dakota State University; NLEYA, THANDIWE - South Dakota State University; Ferreira, Jorge; Suarez, Donald; Sandhu, Devinder

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/2/2024
Publication Date: 8/2/2024
Citation: Westhoff, A, Clay DE, Osterloh K, Clay SA, DeSutter TH, Nleya T, Ferreira, JFS, Suarez DL, and Sandhu D. 2024. An introduction to salinity and sodicity. In: Clay, DE, DeSutter TM, Clay SA, and Nleya T, (eds) Salinity and Sodicity: A Global Challenge to Food Security, Environmental Quality, and Soil Resilience, First Edition. American Society of Agronomy, Inc. / Crop Science Society of America, Inc. / Soil Science Society of America, Inc. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, USA, pp 1-5. DOI: 10.1002/9780891183976.ch1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780891183976.ch1

Interpretive Summary: Salinity and sodicity have afflicted human civilization for thousands of years and continue to pose very serious economic, agronomic, and environmental threats to modern civilization. The scale of the issue makes it a problem of global importance and immediate relevancy. Salt-affected soils form through numerous natural and human-accelerated pathways. An understanding of these pathways is needed prior to implementing remediation techniques. However, the success of any remediation treatment depends on the soil management practices available and feasible for a given area and on the soil type. Depending on the land manager and the specific situation, one or more measurements for salinity and sodicity may be useful. To develop effective management tools, it is imperative that the land manager and crop advisor understand how salinity and sodicity numbers were derived in the lab, and how different methods influence the reported values. This ultimately may influence the decisions about how to best manage the area to keep it productive without exacerbating the problem.

Technical Abstract: Rising sea levels, increasing agricultural intensification, and climate are accelerating the development of saline and sodic soils worldwide. This chapter discusses the global extent of salt-affected soils. Subsequent chapters are focused on economic impacts (Chapter 2), formation and classification (Chapter 3), chemical analysis (Chapter 4), measurement with soil sensors (Chapter 5 and 6), monitoring salinity with models (Chapter 7), remote sensing (Chapter 8), plant responses to salt stress and phytoremediation (Chapters 9, 10, 11), chemical amendments (Chapter12) rising sea levels (Chapter 13), greenhouse gas emissions (Chapter 14), case studies (15) and common questions (Chapter 16,17).