Advances in understanding the impact of irrigation management on salinity, sodicity and soil degradation in Pakistan.
1996
Kuper M. | Kijne J.W.
The paper provides a thematic overview of the salinity resarch that has been carried out so far by IIMI. Firstly, a number of modelling studies were conducted to assess the impact of irrigation and soils related parameters on salinization and sodification. The long term consequences of present irrigation practices were of particular interest and in the identification of those irrigation variables that, if changes, would contribute to managing salinity and sodicity levels. Secondly, the effects of sodicity on soil degradation and on crops were determined. These problems are affecting the productivity and sustainability of irrigated agriculture and are of concern to policy makers and farmers alike. Since farmers are directly dealing with problems of salinity and sodicity and have a rich experience in mitigating their effects on soils and crops, they were solicited by IIMI in order to understand their perceptions of salinity and define their salinity strategies. If irrigation and drainage measures of the Government of Pakistan are to be capitalized on by farmers it is necessary to understand how to remove the environmental constraints of farmers so that they can better manage salinity and sodicity. The large spatial and temporal variability in salinity and sodicity has therefore, to be site-specific. To accomplish this, information is required for a key number of parameters. This is at the core of the last thematic focus of IIMI: determining the salinity and sodicity status and risks over large areas.
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