What can be done to manage or reclaim a saline or sodic soil?
Reclamation of saline or sodic soils can be done. It is first necessary to know whether the soil you want to reclaim is saline, sodic, or both, since reclamation procedures are different for each. Saline soil reclamation requires as a minimum: 1) assessment of the problem, 2) enhanced drainage, and 3) a relatively salt free water supply. Without these components, reclamation cannot progress. Saline soil reclamation requires leaching the soil with enough non-saline water that salts are moved below the root zone. Adequate drainage is absolutely necessary for this procedure to be successful. Research in the western United States has shown that substantial water volumes are needed to leach salt from the soil. Application of reclamation water by sprinkler irrigation or repeated pulsing of small applications of water (as opposed to flood irrigation) is the preferred method, as leaching is more thorough in an unsaturated soil. Whether leaching with a sprinkler or a flood irrigation system, te
