Saline–Alkaline Soils
Imagine you’re trying to grow crops on ground that tastes like namak (salt).
That’s exactly what farmers deal with in saline-alkaline soils. These are soils poisoned by excessive salts—either naturally, or due to human activities like over-irrigation.
⚗️ How Do These Soils Form?
Let’s break this into logic-based layers:
🌊 Layer 1: Salt from Weathering
- When rocks break down, they release sodium, calcium, magnesium salts and even sulphurous acids.
- These salts are either:
- Carried away by rivers (in well-drained areas), or
- Deposited into the soil (in poorly-drained areas).
💧 Layer 2: Irrigation Without Drainage
- In areas with excessive irrigation (like Punjab, Haryana, UP), water rises the water table.
- During dry seasons, evaporation pulls water upward, and with it, salts via capillary action.
Water evaporates, but salt remains → like tea stains in a cup left unwashed.
🌊 Layer 3: Coastal Sea Water Infiltration
- During cyclones or storm surges, sea water floods coastal lands, leaving salty residues.
- Seen in Gulf of Khambhat, coastal Andhra, and Tamil Nadu.
📍 Distribution: Where Are These Soils Found?
Saline–Alkaline soils cover around 68,000 sq km of India. Found in:
| Region | Reason |
| Punjab, Haryana, UP | Excess irrigation, poor drainage |
| Andhra, Telangana, Bihar, Karnataka | High subsoil water table |
| Rajasthan & Maharashtra | Natural alkalinity in dry areas |
| Gujarat Coast (Khambhat) | Sea tides & estuarine salt deposits |
| Coastal Andhra & Tamil Nadu | Cyclonic seawater intrusion |
Key point: These are not one soil type—saline and alkaline soils vary in causes and chemistry, but the common factor is salt overload.
⚗️ Chemical Properties
| Element | Effect |
| Sodium, Magnesium, Calcium salts | Accumulate on topsoil |
| Sulphurous acid | Lowers soil quality |
| pH | Often alkaline (pH > 8) |
| Organic matter | Very poor |
| Fertility | Severely hampered due to toxicity |
🌾 Crops & Reclamation
“This is not barren land due to drought—this is land burned by chemistry. The salts have choked the soil, suffocating life.”
But—like any problem in life—solution exists, if approached scientifically.
| Without Reclamation | Unfit for cultivation |
| With proper methods | Can be reclaimed through: → Gypsum application → Drainage improvement → Leaching with good water |
→ Salt-tolerant crops (barley, cotton, etc.)
🧠 Why These Soils Matter
These soils teach us:
- How human misuse of water can damage fertile land.
- That over-irrigation without drainage is dangerous.
- The importance of soil management in coastal areas.
- That even infertile lands can be revived with the right science.
✍️ Summary Table
| Feature | Saline–Alkaline Soils |
| Texture | Fine-textured but salt-laden |
| Formation | Weathering, irrigation mismanagement, sea-water intrusion |
| pH | Alkaline |
| Fertility | Very poor unless reclaimed |
| Crops | Only salt-tolerant crops if managed |
| Key Areas | Punjab, UP, Gujarat coast, Andhra, Tamil Nadu |
