ABSTRACT
Management of alkali soils presents difficulties due to their physical and chemical properties, which affect seed-bed preparation, irrigation practices, drainage, choice of crops, and other field operations. In general, rice and other cereals are more tolerant than legumes as they require less Calcium, availability of which is a limiting factor in alkali soils. Crops that can withstand excess moisture conditions are generally more tolerant to alkali conditions. Some of the natural grasses, such as Karnal grass and Rhodes grass, are very tolerant to soil sodicity, and, grow normally under high alkali conditions. Many farmers may even reclaim their alkali soils by simply ponding water and growing certain tolerant grasses and/or rice continuously. Deeper mixing also results in higher amounts of gypsum being inactivated by soluble carbonates present in alkali soils, thereby further reducing the effectiveness of the applied gypsum and yield of crops. Alkali soils, once reclaimed, do not need repeated application of amendments provided they are continuously cropped.
