Soil Salinity and Sodicity

Question	Answer
Buffer pH	Resistance to change in soil pH
What is salinity?	When there is an accumulation of salts in the soil.
Why is salinity a problem?	The salts absorb water, keeping it from being plant available. The plant then dies from dehydration.
What is sodicity?	An excess of sodium cations in the soil.
Why is sodicity a problem?	Na+ is a small ion with a large water hull. When Na+ occupies the CEC sites, it doesn't have enough charge to keep the colloids together, so they repel and cause deflocculation.
How do we remedy salinity?	By leaching the soils
How do we remedy sodicity?	By adding gypsum

Resource summary

	Created by Leah Jones over 7 years ago