Extension Spotlight

One limitation of our irrigation capacity is the potential to create saline, sodic or saline-sodic soil conditions. A saline soil has excessive water-soluble salts in the soil solution. This inhibits the plant’s ability to uptake water. A sodic soil has excessive cations bound to exchange sites. This condition degrades soil structure, eventually forming large hardened clods. If both conditions are present the soil is called saline-sodic. Our alkaline soils are susceptible to both conditions. Some wells have high calcium and/or sodium concentrations. Irrigating without regard to the risk of cre...