Salinity and Sodicity in Pakistan's Punjab: A Threat to Sustainability of Irrigated Agriculture?

The development of groundwater for irrigation in Pakistan's Punjab has lowered water tables and markedly reduced the extent of waterlogged lands. However, the incidence of salinity has not been reduced at the same rate. This paper review s IIM I's research studies in Pakistan, in which ove...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of water resources development 1995-03, Vol.11 (1), p.73-86
Main Authors: Kijne, Jacob W., Kuper, Marcel
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:The development of groundwater for irrigation in Pakistan's Punjab has lowered water tables and markedly reduced the extent of waterlogged lands. However, the incidence of salinity has not been reduced at the same rate. This paper review s IIM I's research studies in Pakistan, in which over the last five years soil and tubewell water samples have been collected at several research sites. Electrical con ductivity of the saturated soil extract (ECe) and sodium adsorption ratio (SA R) w ere foun d to be significantly higher in irrigated areas that have limited access to canal w ater of good quality. There are indications that farmers use irrigation water from tubew ells to minimize the effects of salinity, e.g. by increasing the frequency of application w hen crops show signs of salt-induced water stress. Evidence is presented that farm ers are n ot succeeding in the same way with respect to sodicity.
ISSN:0790-0627
1360-0648
DOI:10.1080/07900629550042470