Irrigation with Saline Water

Abstract

Crop production in arid and semi-arid regions of the world is dependent upon an adequate supply of suitable-quality water. A supply of water is considered adequate when sufficient quantities are readily available for irrigation throughout the season to meet crop-water needs. This depends not only on the absolute quantity of water available, but on the scale of irrigated agriculture imposed on a region. In areas where irrigated agriculture frequently encounters irrigation water shortages, emphasis is usually placed on methods of increasing water quantity (e.g., utilizing groundwater; Howitt and M’Marete 1991), rather than considering whether water demands placed on such arid regions have been too high to ensure a dependable long-term supply. In some extremely arid countries, however, development of new irrigation water supplies is necessary to maintain a stable food supply. In order to expand its water resource base, the country or region must be able to utilize poorer quality water. The quality of water is considered suitable for crop production providing it can be used alone or in conjunction with other water sources and can sustain economic yields over the long term. The actual quality of water that is suitable for irrigation, as outlined in Chapter 2, depends upon crop salt tolerance, site conditions, and management practices.KeywordsIrrigation WaterSaline WaterDrainage WaterGood Quality WaterSalinity ProfileThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.