Soil salinization and waterlogging: A threat to environment and agricultural sustainability

The development of irrigated agriculture is necessary for fulfilling the rising food requirements of the burgeoning global population. However, the intensification of irrigated agriculture causes the twin menace of waterlogging and soil salinization in arid and semiarid regions where more than 75% of the world's population lives. Waterlogging and salinization have direct and indirect effects on plant growth and yield. The damage to plant growth and yield is much serious when these processes occur simultaneously and generally yield reduction is linearly correlated with the salinity level. The control of shallow watertable with irrigation management and installation of drainage systems are suggestible to control the waterlogging and salinization problems of irrigated agriculture. This paper presents an overview of the different aspects of waterlogging and soil salinization and its impact on the food production and sustainability of irrigated agriculture. Conclusions are provided which could be useful for all the stakeholders. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.