Abstract
Salinity in arid and semi-arid lands is becoming an ever increasing problem with 222 750 ha of irrigated lands going out of production annually. Salt accumulation, as well as producing toxic concentrations that stress plant growth also reduces water availability to the plant by increasing the osmotic potential of the rhizosphere. In addition, high sodium ions in the soil can negatively affect the physical soil characteristics, for example, sodic soils,which have a high concentration of exchangeable sodium but a low concentration of total salts, can seriously affect soil structure and become impermeable, thereby further reducing water availability (Briggs 1996).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wickens, G.E. (1998). Salt Stress. In: Ecophysiology of Economic Plants in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands. Adaptations of Desert Organisms. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03700-3_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03700-3_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-08089-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-03700-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive