strategy

Restoring saline affected farm land

Synonyms:
Rehabilitating salt affected agricultural land
Context:
About 2 million hectares of agricultural land in southern Western Australia is already affected by salinity, and a further 4 million hectares is threatened.

The fundamental cause of salinity is the replacement of perennial, deep rooted native vegetation with the annual crops and pastures used in agriculture. Salinity is usually noticed first when plants grow poorly, and yields of farm plants (crops and pastures) are reduced by more than 25 to 30%. In severe cases, bare or 'weedy' patches develop with salt obvious on the surface. These patches are known as 'salt scalds'.

Implementation:
Trees can prevent saline ground water rising to the surface, where its effect on agricultural production and nature conservation is disastrous.
Subjects:
Fundamental Sciences Inorganic chemical compounds
Geography Land type/use
Health Care Rehabilitation
Agriculture, Fisheries Agriculture
Agriculture, Fisheries Cultivation
Type Classification:
F: Exceptional strategies
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
GOAL 2: Zero HungerGOAL 15: Life on Land