Crops and Cropping Sequences for Harnessing Productivity Potential of Sodic Soils

Abstract

Sodicity and salinity are the major abiotic stresses in arid and semiarid regions of the country. In India there are about 6.73 million ha of salt-affected soils, out of which 2.8 million are sodic in nature and primarily occurring in the Indo-Gangetic alluvial plains.Selection of suitable crops and cropping system during and after reclamation is very important. During initial years of reclamation, salt-tolerant varieties of selected crops like rice, barley, wheat and mustard should be grown and gradually shifted to the non-salt-tolerant and high-value crops to get higher income.The studies conducted at the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, and its Regional Research Station, Lucknow, proved that through the selection of suitable crops and cropping systems along with recommended management practices during and after reclamation of sodic soils, their productivity can be enhanced.with the application of reduced dose of gypsum (25 % GR), salt-tolerant varieties of rice should be replaced with high-yielding varieties after 4 years and of wheat after 3 years. If the gypsum is applied at 50 % GR, salt-tolerant variety of rice should be replaced with high-yielding varieties after 3 years and wheat after 2 years or diversify the rice–wheat cropping system with highly remunerative medicinal and aromatic crops like sweet basil in kharif and Matricaria in rabi to enhance the productivity potential of reclaimed sodic soils and to save the natural resources. In this chapter, an attempt is made to highlight the reclamation methodology of sodic soils and harnessing their productivity through management of crops and cropping systems during and after reclamation.