Salinity

Expressed as the total amount of dissolved salts in the water, salinity is measured by the ability to conduct electricity (electric conductivity).

The indicator used is ECw. In most cases, if the ECw is less than 700 ms, you won’t have major problems.

Helpful hint: If the salinity is reported as parts per million, convert to ECw by dividing ppm by 640.

 

Considerations

 

  • Each crop has a different tolerance to saline water. Choose a suitable crop for the water

  • Well-drained soils have lower risk of salt accumulation than poorly drained soils.

  • As the soil dries out, the salt concentration consequentially increases, and therefore reduces the moisture available to the plant

  • When using drip irrigation, salts generally accumulate at the periphery of the wetted zone. A plan to irrigate the wetted zone further from the plant may be part of your management plan.

 

Salinity management is discussed in detail in Module 4 – Maintenance.

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