| 1. Choose a crop that fit your field's conditions | | | | 4. Use appropriate fertilizers types The fertilizers |
| - Soil type - water infiltration capacity, how much air | | | | type and their quantities should coincide with to the |
| does the soil contain, how much water will be needed | | | | requirements of the crop and with nutrients which |
| to wash the soil in order to avoid salinity build up. | | | | are already in the soil. There are fertilizers which |
| Does your soil have special drainage problems? For | | | | contain salts which are not taken up by plants in large |
| example, it is better avoid planting a salt sensitive | | | | amounts, such as chlorides. These salts tend to |
| crop in a soil which is not well drained. | | | | accumulate in the soil. |
| - The microclimate conditions in the field - parameters | | | | 5. Have your soil tested periodically Soil analysis gives |
| such as wind direction and solar radiation may affect | | | | you a better indication of the salt content in the soil, |
| water consumption of the crop. | | | | without which you'll be only guessing. Guessing often |
| - The agricultural history of the field - did salts | | | | comes close enough, but in many cases growers |
| accumulate in the soil during a previous crop? | | | | realize there's a salinity problem only after yields are |
| - Irrigation water quality - Check the quality of the | | | | decreased or crop quality is reduced. |
| available source water. What kind of salts does it | | | | A practical approach in order to prevent salinity |
| contain and what is the total level of salts in it? | | | | buildup early enough is sampling the soil 5 times over |
| - type of irrigation system and its distribution - what | | | | a growing period of 8 months (a test every 6 weeks |
| type of irrigation system are you going to use? is it | | | | or so). It is recommended to do at least one water |
| flood irrigation, sprinklers, pivot or drip irrigation? each | | | | analysis as well. The tests will indicate any change in |
| type of irrigation system has its own water | | | | soil content, allowing you to adjust the fertilization |
| distribution pattern, depending also on the soil | | | | and irrigation regimen as needed. This is the |
| properties. make sure the emitters are set in the | | | | cheapest, most practical way to follow up on salinity |
| appropriate spacing, to allow uniform irrigation | | | | status, keeping your crop quality and yield at optimal |
| depending on your soil type. | | | | level. |
| 2. Know the leaching requirement for your crop | | | | 6. And if after all that, you still face a salinity |
| Irrigation water amounts must coincide the growing | | | | problem... When you identify a salinity problem during |
| stage of your crop. Apply the minimum needed to | | | | the growing season, it is recommended to flush the |
| flush salts from soil. This means that you always | | | | field, even if it means risking some crop damage, |
| have to give a little more water than the crop | | | | rather than allowing further deterioration of the crop |
| consumption, to allow leaching of salts below the root | | | | due to salinity. |
| zone. Remember that heavier soils require larger | | | | Flushing applications should be carefully planned |
| water applications than lighter soils, in order to avoid | | | | according to the crop conditions and growth stage. In |
| salinity buildup. | | | | light soils, which drain easily, the impact of flushing on |
| The leaching requirement is expressed as: | | | | the crop is usually insignificant. In heavy soils, water |
| LR = Water leached/Water applied | | | | infiltration and drainage problems may be |
| A general equation to calculate the leaching | | | | encountered, resulting in excess of water and lack of |
| requirement is | | | | air to the roots. Flushing heavy soils is a prolonged |
| LR (%) =ECiw/(5ECth-ECiw) | | | | process and its final result is difficult to anticipate in |
| Where ECiw is the EC of the irrigation water, and | | | | advance. |
| ECth is the threshold salinity measured in the | | | | Therefore, extra care should be taken when growing |
| saturated soil extract, above which yield begins do | | | | on heavy soils, as to not reach salinity buildup at all, |
| decline (both in ds/m). | | | | or at least identify the problem early enough, when |
| The total amount of water to be applied is AW = ET | | | | salts levels are still relatively easy to flush. If all else |
| (1-LR) | | | | fails and flushing is the chosen course of action, in |
| Where AW is the amount of water to be applied and | | | | heavier soils, not more than the maximal water |
| ET is the water consumption based on | | | | amount that can be absorbed by the soil should be |
| evapotranspiration. | | | | applied, and the longest intervals possible should be |
| 3. Keep the right Intervals between irrigations | | | | maintained. In the meantime, fertilization should be |
| Irrigation regimen and intervals must be appropriate | | | | based only on Nitrogen and only the minimum amount |
| to the soil conditions and to growth stage of the | | | | should be applied. |
| crop. Frequent and shallow (superficial) applications | | | | The water used for flushing should be the highest |
| result in salt accumulation in the root zone, while | | | | quality possible, because the purpose of the flushing |
| larger applications, in longer intervals, will flush the | | | | process is to decrease the soil salinity to the levels of |
| salts below the root zone. | | | | the irrigation water. |