Abstract: This chapter discusses the growth of plants on saline and alkali soils and the effect of soil tolerance on plant growth. Saline and alkali soils occur for the most part in the regions of arid or semiarid climate, and the process of salinization is frequently accelerated by injudicious irrigation and poor drainage. Successful agriculture on saline and alkali soil requires the use of crops capable of producing a satisfactory yield under moderate intensities of salt or alkali accumulation. The salt tolerance of plants may be evaluated in three ways—(1) it may be looked upon as the capacity to persist in the presence of increasing degrees of salinity, (2) it may be regarded from the standpoint of productive capacity at a given level of salinity, and (3) the relative performance of a crop at a given level of soil salinity as compared to its performance on a comparable nonsaline soil may be used as a criterion of salt tolerance. Saline soils may affect plant growth in two distinct ways—(1) the increased osmotic pressure of the soil solution leads to an accompanying decrease in the physiological availability of water to the plant and (2) the concentrated soil solution may be conducive to the accumulation of toxic quantities of various ions within the plant. There are marked differences in relative salt tolerance among various genera, species, and varieties of agricultural crops. This fact emphasizes the importance of the proper selection of crops for use on lands that are marginal due to salinity.
Publication Year: 1949
Publication Date: 1949-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 161
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot