About Lesson
Salt Stress
- Soil salinity is a worldwide problem in crop production especially in arid and semi arid region where soil have high salt levels
- Depending on specific conditions one or more no of salt ions such as Na + , Cl – , Mg ++ , HCO 3- , SO 4 — etc may be present within root zone in high concentration and thus affect crop growth
Effects of high salt in soil
- High concentration of specific ions can be toxic and induce physiological disorder
- Soluble salts decrease the water potential of the nutrient medium and hence restricts the water uptake by plant roots
- Decreases enzymatic activity
- Decreases protein synthesis
- Affects activity of mitochondria and chloroplast
Measures to overcome salt stress
- Reclamation: gypsum application(CaSO 4 )
- Salt tolerant new varieties cultivation. Eg: halophytes
- Drain out salt by heavy irrigation
- Addition of organic matter to the soil