Reclaiming land flooded with salt water.

Abstract

Controlled experiments and field experience in the Netherlands have shown that the maximum concentration of salt (NaCl) in the moisture of the 5-20 cm. soil layers at which a given spring crop may be sown without risk of failure varies from year to year according to the climatic conditions prevailing in the summer. Crops which succeed in a normal season when sown at a given salt concentration in the soil moisture, may fail when a hot, dry summer follows a spring sowing at the same concentration. A table is presented showing the maximum spring salt concentrations at which various crops may be sown, under average Dutch climatic conditions, with a reasonable chance of success (i.e. of obtaining a yield at least 75% of normal). In general the figures given coincide with those already quoted by C. van den Berg in " The reaction of crops to soil salinity " Verslag. Landbouwk. Onderzoek. 1950, Vol. 56, No. 16. The maximum salt concentration permissible for the planting of fodder-potatoes is 3 g. of salt per 1. of soil-moisture, whereas in the case of potatoes for consumption, owing to the deleterious effect of salt on eating-quality, the maximum concentration permissible at planting time is 1.5 g. per 1. It is pointed out that winter-sown crops such as cereals and oil-seed rape may be sown at much higher concentrations of salt in the soil-moisture than spring crops, because winter rains leach the salt from the soil and because crop plants are able to tolerate much higher concentrations of salt at winter than at summer temperatures. In cool weather, cereals can germinate at salt concentrations as high as 20 g. per 1.-W.J.B. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)

Landmark Papers: No. 2. The effect of electrolyte concentration on soil permeability

“…per litre a satisfactory permeability was obtained. In the reclamation of sea‐flooded soil in Holland, van Beekom et al (1953) found that, ‘The typical heavy decline in structure begins in the first winter after drainage when the soluble salts are largely removed from the top soil. Its first signs occur as soon as the concentration of common salt drops below 5 g. per litre.’ This corresponds to 80 m.e.…”

“…It is necessary to consider to what extent this curve can be applied to soils other than Sawyers 1. From the work of van Beekom et al (1953) and Emerson (1954) it is obvious that soils with high organic matter or soils just out of grass have more favourable properties when saturated to varying degrees with sodium than other arable soils in a similar condition. However, for soils of semi‐arid and arid areas to which this work should mainly apply, the relationship is probably directly applicable with the possible exception that kaolinitic soils of low pH may not be as badly affected as soils containing other clay minerals.…”