ABSTRACT
The primary concerns in water management for salinity and sodicity control are: proper selection of crops, proper seed-bed management, adequate irrigation for both crop growth and leaching, and sufficient drainage to dispose of the leaching water. When municipal wastewaters are used for irrigation, water management for salinity and sodicity control will be similar to that used for fresh water sources. All irrigation waters contain salts; however, wastewaters contain more salts than are present in the municipal water supply. Three salt effects on plant growth are osmotic, specific ion toxicity, and poor soil physical conditions. Salinity of irrigation water is determined by measuring its electrical conductivity and the concentration of boron, chloride, bicarbonate, sodium, calcium, and magnesium. The electrical conductivity of water is a quick measure of its total dissolved salt concentration. The chapter describes a method to determine the minimum leaching requirement and associated crop water requirement for specific crops and irrigation water salinities.
