Scribd
Upload
31 views1 page

Harmful Effects of Water Logging and Salinity

Waterlogging and salinity caused by unplanned irrigation systems can have many harmful effects: (1) Waterlogged soil provides breeding grounds for mosquitoes that can spread malaria; (2) It causes loss of crop yields as plant roots cannot absorb water and aerobic bacteria needed for food are killed in anaerobic conditions; (3) Salts are brought to the surface through capillary action, increasing soil salinity and hindering plant growth through permanent wilting. If left unchecked, waterlogging and salinity can destroy vegetation and crops, increase soil alkalinity or acidity to levels that prevent plant nutrient absorption, and reduce infrastructure stability through decreased soil bearing capacity.

Uploaded by

Abhishek Chaudhari
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
31 views1 page

Harmful Effects of Water Logging and Salinity

Waterlogging and salinity caused by unplanned irrigation systems can have many harmful effects: (1) Waterlogged soil provides breeding grounds for mosquitoes that can spread malaria; (2) It causes loss of crop yields as plant roots cannot absorb water and aerobic bacteria needed for food are killed in anaerobic conditions; (3) Salts are brought to the surface through capillary action, increasing soil salinity and hindering plant growth through permanent wilting. If left unchecked, waterlogging and salinity can destroy vegetation and crops, increase soil alkalinity or acidity to levels that prevent plant nutrient absorption, and reduce infrastructure stability through decreased soil bearing capacity.

Uploaded by

Abhishek Chaudhari
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

Harmful effects of water logging and salinity

Harmful effects of waterlogging and salinity are caused by unthoughtful planning of irrigation system.
With respect to water logging and salinity, there are following harmful effects:
1.Waterlogged soil provides excellent breeding grounds for misquitoes, and cause malaria.
2.It causes loss in crop yield.
3.When waterlogged soil are fully saturated, plant roots can not absorb water. Therefore, they are deprived of aeration. Due
to absence of aeration, anaerobic conditions existkilling the aerobic bacteria present in the root-zone of the plant.
This aerobic bacteria helps to make food for the plant. This aerobic bacteria transform chemical compoundsinto nitrogen
and phosphorus and provides food to the plant. Due to waterlogging, killing of this bacteria occured and ultimately causes
the death of the plant.
4.In rainfall or irrigation, water after saturating the root-zone travels downward washing down excess salts. When the
unsaturated conditions begin, plant start taking up water. In waterlogged soil, water moves upwards due to capillary. It bring
up salts more and more in the root-zone. Thus making soil solution excessively saline. The plant then faces hindrences in
taking up moisture. This results in permanent wilting of the plant.
5.Where land is totally waterlogged, salinity causes destruction of vegetation and crops. Waterlogging causes depostion of
salts in the root zone. If the salts are alkaline, thensoil pH increases. If the soil pH increases to 8.5, it effects the plant and if
increases to 11.0 then plant becomes infertile. If the salts are acidic, then its lower the pH. For acidic salts with pH low than
4, plants cannot absorb nutrients and die.
6.Destruction of roads occured due to reduced bearing capacity of waterlogged soil.
7.Rise of water through capillary in the buildings, causes dampness and therefore causes diseases. This also causes
peeling off plasters and appearance of saltpatched on the walls of the buildings.
8.Certain weeds grow very fast in the waterlogged area and normal crops cannot compete with them. Thus suppressing the
useful crops to grow.
9.Due to reduced bearing capacity, agricultural machinery cannot operate well in the fields.
10.Saline soil being unfit for agriculture is used for making bricks. The salts from these bricks appear on the surface
whenever they get dry.

You might also like