Some studies of salt-affected soils of Canning, West Bengal

Summary

Six profiles from a representative area in the southern part of the deltaic region of Gangetic West Bengal, India, were examined. Of these, one can be termed as normal, another as non-saline alkali, and the remaining four as saline alkali. Of the saline alkali ones, there was one profile which had a rather low pH. The acidic condition of the soil is due to the presence of decaying organic matter in the soil giving rise to what has been termed as a degraded saline alkali soil. In designating the soils as such, the broad conditions of total soluble salts expressed as percentage of sodium chloride per hundred grams of soil and the exchangeable sodium percentage have been used as the criterion. The soils have thus been classified taking into consideration the dominant soil-forming factors active here. Remedial measures to improve these soils include the incorporation of green-manuring crops and the application of soil ameliorants like lime, gypsum and sometimes other chemical amendments. The soils must be surveyed in order to delineate the types of salt-affected soils, and during reclamation, drainage and irrigation measures should not be lost sight of either.