Explore: Irrigated Soils

were irrigated, in 1950, 94 million hectares, and in 1990, 235 million hectares. By 1990, 30% of the global food production came from irrigated land.

naturally saline soils. This is the case, for example, in large parts of Australia. Human practices can increase the salinity of soils by the addition

plant roots can not penetrate deep into the soil for optimum growth in Alkali soils. When soil is irrigated with low pH / acidic water, the useful salts

California in the late 1960s, only 5% of irrigated land used this system as of 1988. By 2010, 40% of irrigated land in California used this system. A trickle

"table salt"). Saline soils are therefore also sodic soils but there may be sodic soils that are not saline, but alkaline. World Soil Salt Degradation This

once it is irrigated. Basin irrigation is favored in soils with relatively low infiltration rates. This is also a method of surface irrigation. Fields are

in acid soils. Soil organisms are hindered by high acidity, and most agricultural crops do best with mineral soils of pH 6.5 and organic soils of pH 5

expressed in inches or mm per hour. Slope (topography) of the land being irrigated as this affects how quickly runoff occurs, often expressed as a percentage

crops are watered with sprinklers. A circular area centered on a pivot is irrigated, often creating a circular pattern in crops when viewed from above (sometimes

Richards, L.A.; Weaver, L.R. (1944). "Moisture retention by some irrigated soils as related to soil moisture tension" (PDF). Journal of Agricultural Research