Yes, Dr. Mishra, soil salinity can be reduced by practicing conservation agriculture.
Conservation agriculture refers to resource-saving agricultural crop production that strives for achieving acceptable profits together with high and sustained production levels while concurrently conserving the environment. In conservation agriculture, management practices can often be modified to obtain a more favourable distribution of salts in the profile and therefore better crop yields, water quality remaining the same. Some of the management practices/ mechanisms for reducing soil salinity under conservation agriculture are listed below.
(1). More frequent irrigation: The adverse effects of the high salinity of irrigation water on the crops can be minimized by irrigating them frequently. More frequent irrigations maintain higher soil water contents in the upper parts of the root zone while reducing the concentration of soluble salts. The sprinkler method of irrigation is generally more amenable to increased frequency of water applications.
(2). Selection and breeding of salt-resistant crop varieties offer tremendous possibilities of utilizing saline water resources for crop production. Induction of salt tolerance in plants by soaking seeds for a certain period in salt solutions and/or use of seeds obtained from parents that have been irrigated with saline water help in obtaining increased yields in saline water irrigated soils.
(3). Conjunctive use of fresh and saline water: Under situations where good quality water is available for irrigation but not in adequate quantities to meet the evapotranspirational needs of crops, conjunctive use of saline and fresh water may be followed to obtain irrigation water of medium salinity for use throughout the cropping season. Alternatively, good quality water could be used for irrigation at the more critical stages of growth, e.g. germination, and the saline water at the stages where the crop has relatively more tolerance.
I also think , practicing conservation agriculture can reduce both , the menacing salinity in a given soil condition as well as providing necessary safeguard against secondary salinization . But , my submission is , why should we resort to conservation agriculture alone for educing salinity , when there are so many plausible options availalble with their proven worth in minimum time lag required for reducing the salinity to a safer threshold through an integrated approach .
Yes, the problem of salinization can be reduced with CA. No till and surface retention of residues limits the evaporation mean salt movement from lower layers to surface; recycling organics (residues) decomposes over time, release CO2 (acid) and lowers the pH. There are other processes as well. CA is a win-win
Generally, High salts concentration resulting a high osmotic potential of the soil solution, so the plant has to use more energy to absorb water and nutrient. Therefore, salinity can negatively affect nutrition uptake by plant even under practicing conservation agriculture. In this regard, adverse effects of sodium on soil structure is considered as other reason.
Cover crops are broadly used in conservation agriculture. The cover crops grown after irrigated crops in dry regions could decrease the salt leaching and reduce soil salt accumulation. In this interesting publication you can find more information about it:
Gabriel, J. L., Almendros, P., Hontoria, C., & Quemada, M. (2012). The role of cover crops in irrigated systems: soil salinity and salt leaching. Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, 158, 200-207.
Yes, Definitely conservation agriculture can reduce the salinity problem and at the same time it will maintain soil health. The principle of CA should be followed as, Zero tillage-cover crops-crop rotation in conjunction with irrigation with good quality water and saline resistant crops to overcome the salinity problems.
The adoption of conservation agriculture lead to decrease in soil salinity due to various reasons which may include decrease soil evapoartion which reduces salt accumulation on surface of the soil. The addtion of starw mulch act as one way valve for checking evaporation from soil. The addtion of residue helps in enhancement in soil organic matter lead to incresed soil biological activities and their acid secretion for degradation of the residue which also helps in reducing salinity. The enhancemnet in the infilatration rate in CA also helps in leaching of salts. Moreover, these things are location specific (climate/soil characterstics) and needs to be evaluated in various ecologies to access benefit of CA on reduction in salinity.
Dr Srivastava, I am not going in that direction but I am giving possible reasons for How CA can help to reduce the salinity. However, you are right and I also wrote this should be evaluated in multiple environments in long term.
Soil salinity is not that troublesome issue as compared to sodicity. The former can be set right just by providing good quality water and perfect drainage, of course when there is adequate water for irrigation. The issue becomes troublesome under rainfed conditions in arid/semiarid tropical areas when salt tolerant crops are to be opted to live with the problem. When irrigation water itself is saline, the problem accentuates. It is a long drawn process. However, organic farming coupled with crop rotation and mulching can efficiently keeps the salinity under check. Whereas, the chemical fertilizer use further aggravates the salinity problem.
Dr Reddy , good response , it may not be conservation agriculture in very strict sense , but various components of CA could be very effective in moderating the impact of soil salinity . But , again , soil salinity may not be that trouble posing, as it does with soil sodicity. You surely need much higher doses of organic manures and mulches , besides soil moisture to keep salt concentration well below the effective root zone of crops that are grown....