FOOD TECHNOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The excessive use of water for irrigation in dry climates, with heavy soils, causes salt accumulation because they are not washed out by rainfall. The process occurs in cultivated areas where irrigation is associated with high evaporation rates and a clay texture of the soil.

Detailed explanation-2: -Most irrigation waters contain some salts. After irrigation, the water added to the soil is used by the crop or evaporates directly from the moist soil. The salt, however, is left behind in the soil. If not removed, it accumulates in the soil; this process is called salinization (see Fig.

Detailed explanation-3: -Which type of irrigation causes soil salinization? Flood irrigation causes soil salinization at higher rates than other types of irrigation.

Detailed explanation-4: -Under sprinkler irrigation, the salinity buildup occurs in the subsurface soil (Fig. 4.1). Thus, the SI system is highly effective in leaching salts from the surface and providing a soil environment which is conducive for seed germination and early stage of plant growth.

Detailed explanation-5: -As the water is taken up by plants through transpiration or lost to the atmosphere by evaporation, soil water salinity increases because salts become more concentrated in the remaining soil water. Thus, evapotranspiration (ET) between irrigation periods can further increase salinity.