To see the effect of salinity on wheat lysimeter experiment was conducted by growing six wheat genotypes. The experiment included three treatments i.e. EC, =4.75 (control), 7.5 and 15.0 dS mG 1 with four replications. Data regarding number tillers, grain and straw yield per plant were recorded at harvesting. Lead sap was extracted from leaf samples collected at booting stage and analyzed for N + , K + and ClG concentration. Yield parameters and K + concentration decreased, while Na + and ClG concentration increased with an increase in salinity. Genotype 234-1 had the highest value of its yield parameters along with high concentration of Na + and CIG and was declared tolerant as it might had compartmentalized these ions. Two genotypes WC-73 and SAR-5 produced the lowest value of yield parameters and were declared sensitive. But the Na + and ClG concentrations of WC-73 was low while that of SARC-5 was high. This difference in their sensitivity could be attributed of genetic constitution.

An effective reclamation procedure of saline sodic soils is removal of undesirable Na+ by addition of some Ca2+ source paralleled with leaching of this sodium out of root zone. Nevertheless, gypsum being a direct source of Ca2+ is relatively insoluble in water. Its solubility can be increased with addition of H2SO4. Therefore, three years (2015 to 2018) study was plan to find out the optimal and economical level of H2SO4, which can increase the solubility and reclamation efficiency of gypsum for saline sodic soil in rice wheat crop-ping rotation. Treatments included were: T1, Control, T2, gypsum @ 100% of GR, T3, gypsum @ 100% of GR+10 kg H2SO4 acre−1, T4, gypsum @ 100% of GR+50 kg H2SO4 acre−1, T5, gypsum @ 100% of GR+100 kg H2SO4 acre−1. Before start of study, soil had pHs = 8.85, ECe = 4.85 (dS m−1), SAR = 43.82 (mmol L−1)1/2, GR = 4.10 (t. acre−1), BD = 1.65 (Mg m-3), HC = 0.33 (cm hr−1). Experiment was laid out in RCBD with three replications. Sulfuric acid and gypsum were applied (once) at the start of study in the respective treatment plots. Recommended dose of fertilizers, 150-90-60 NPK kg ha−1 for rice (Shaheen Basmati) and 160-114-60 NPK kg ha−1 for wheat (Faisalabad, 2008) was applied. Yield and yield determining attributes of each crop were recorded at physical maturity. After harvest of each crop, soil samples were collected and were analyzed for ECe, pHs, SAR, bulk density and hydraulic conductivity. Pooled data analysis revealed that maximum growth and yield determining factors of rice and wheat were recorded where gypsum was applied with H2SO4 at the rate of 50 and 100 kg acre−1. Soil physical and chemical properties, i.e. pHs, ECe, SAR bulk density and hydraulic conductivity were also substantially improved with combined application of gypsum and H2SO4 at the end of study. Both levels of H2SO4 at the rate of 50 and 100 kg acre−1 with gypsum proved equally to be the best in enhancing the solubility and reclamation efficiency of gypsum and showed the statistically (p≤ 0.05) similar results in increasing the yield of rice and wheat crop and improving the soil physical and chemicals properties. Therefore, H2SO4 at the rate of 50 kg acre−1 is recommended as most economical and optimum level, which can be used with gypsum as an effective ameliorative strategy for the salt affected soils.

A pot experiment was conducted to see the effect of salinity and waterlogging on five wheat genotypes. The experiment consisted of four treatments i.e., control (non-saline non-waterlogged), waterlogging, saline and salinity×waterlogging. NaCI salinity was developed prior to sowing and waterlogging was created two weeks after germination. At booting stage fully expanded second to flag leaf was collected for Na + , K + and ClG analysis. At harvesting grain and straw yield was recorded. The genotypes SARC-6 and Pasban-90 were found to be tolerant producing high grain and straw yield under all treatments. SARC-6 was able to manage the high concentration of Na + and ClG while Pasban-90 accumulated low Na + and ClG concentration possibly due to exclusion of these ions. The sensitive genotype SARC-5 produced low yield and could not manage the high concentration of Na + and ClG.

C rop productivity on marginal soils can be sustained substantially by altering the environment or plants. The both options can be combined for the productive utilization of adverse degraded land with poor quality groundwater by managing the dual salinity of soil and water with suitable interventions. Crop production is directly correlated with the water availability and quality and is constrained by soil/ water salinity. Water salinization is more prevalent than soil salinization resultantly enhanced the soil salinity/ sodicity and reduced the crop productivity.The main approaches to combat the salinity/ sodicity are the establishment of clean root-zone environment for proper plant growth or the plants that suit the prevailing adverse environment. The best fit and widely used approach is that enables the plants to respond in the changed environment (Tyagi and Sharma, 2000;Feizi et al., 2010). Research regarding water salinity is focused on salinity management either by retaining salts using different amendments or to screen the salinity tolerant species or to induce salinity tolerance in plants to sustain the yields resultantly better crop yields (Tyagi, 2001;Sharma and Minhas, 2005;Maskooni and Afzali, 2015). The saline water can be Abstract | Amelioration of salt prone areas and reuse of saline/ sodic water is becoming important tool to improve the crop production as well as to decrease the disposal of such water. More land can be brought into cultivation by using poor quality ground water. Poor quality water can be used for cultivation of crops with appropriate management viz. chemicals like gypsum, H 2 SO 4 , calcium chloride, sulfur or organic additions like manures, muds, biogas slurry, composts etc. The marginal soils irrigated with saline water have deteriorated physical properties were improved with inorganic and organic amendments. Field studies were conducted at Kot Murad (district Hafizabad) to evaluate the different management practices for saline water in salt affected soils. Results suggested that the canal water with soil GR produced the maximum yields of rice and wheat trailed by the application of saline water with GR of soil and irrigation water. Soil analysis at harvest showed that soil was improved with canal water with GR of soil trailed by saline water with GR of soil and irrigation water. The least variations in soil pH, EC and SAR were observed in control where nothing was applied. Comprehensive studies in different ecological zones with salt affected soils with variety of saline water may be grown to confer these approaches.

A mong abiotic factors, salt stress is a universal constraint for sustainable agriculture production. To increase agriculture production, it is imperative to explore the potential of unproductive salt-affected soils by employing suitable remedial strategies. Removal of toxic Na + out of root zone through some suitable amendments like gypsum, sulfur, H 2 SO 4 is a usual way to reclaim the sodic or saline-sodic soils. Gypsum being a direct source of Ca 2+ , low price, and ease in handling, is the most used inorganic amendment. According to Hamza and Anderson (2003), gypsum effectively removes the exchangeable Na + and decreases the soil pH s , EC e and SAR. Integrated use of gypsum with some organic amendments like compost, farmyard manure, and poultry manure not only increased the solubility and the reclamation efficiency of gypsum but also improved the health of salt prone soils (Tajada et al., Abstract | Use of inorganic and organic amendments is a very effective approach to enhance crop productivity and restoring the deteriorated properties of salt-affected soils. For addressing this objective, a study was undertaken to investigate the ameliorative effect of humic acid (HA) with gypsum on rice-wheat crops under saline-sodic condition (EC e = 4.71 dS m -1 , SAR = 31.82, pH s = 9.10). Different combinations of gypsum and humic acid tested were: T 1 -control, T 2 -gypsum @ 100 % GR, T 3 -gypsum @ 75 % GR+ HA @ 15 kg ha -1 , T 4 -gypsum @ 75 % GR+ HA @ 30 kg ha -1 , T 5 -gypsum @ 50 % GR+ HA @ 15 kg ha -1 , T 6 -gypsum @ 50 % GR+ HA @ 30 kg ha -1 . Yield data of each crop was documented at maturity. Results showed that growth and yield attributes increased significantly, and properties of saline-sodic field were ameliorated remarkably by the integrated use of HA and gypsum. The maximum plant height, 1000-grain weight, paddy and grain yield of rice and wheat crops were obtained where the gypsum+ humic acid were used @75 % GR+ HA @ 30 kg ha -1 followed by gypsum @ 100% GR while the chemicals properties of soil (pH s , EC e , SAR) were under the safe limits in both treatments. Gypsum @ 75 % GR+ humic acid @ 30 kg ha -1 reduced the pH s (6.70%), EC e (27.60%) and SAR (54.96%), hydraulic conductivity (9.75%), and bulk density (3.94%) over their initial values. Therefore, it was concluded that integrated use of gypsum @ 75% GR + humic acid @ 30 Kg ha -1 is equally effective as gypsum @ 100 % GR in improving the yield of wheat and rice crops and restoring the deteriorated properties of salt-affected soils.