BookJagdish Chander Dagar, Rajender Kumar Yadav, Parbodh Chander Sharma, editors.
Summary: Soil and water salinity is a major challenge for the agricultural community and policy makers in terms of meeting the burgeoning populations demand for food and other agricultural commodities. In coastal regions, climate change and sea level rise will aggravate the problem with more and more areas becoming saline due to intrusion of sea water. As such there is a pressing need for modern tools and innovative techniques for the identification of salty soils and poor-quality waters, crop production, soil reclamation and lowering the water table in waterlogged areas. Tackling next-generation problems such as contamination of soil and underground water due to fluoride and arsenic, as well as developing multi-stress tolerant crops is also a high priority. Further, techniques for domesticating halophytes, mangrove-based aquacultures, using seaweed cultures as agricultural crops and integrated farming systems need to be perfected. This book addresses all these aspects in detail, highlighting the diverse solutions to tackle the complex problem of salinity and waterlogging and safer management of poor-quality waters. With chapters written by leading experts, it is a valuable resource for researchers planning future investigations, policy makers, farmers and other stakeholders, and for students wanting insights into vital issues of environment.
Contents:
Part 1. Introduction, History and Perspectives
Chapter 1. Historical perspectives and dynamics of nature, extent, classification and management of salt-affected soils and waters
Chapter 2. A brief review on soil salinity mapping by optical and radar remote sensing
Chapter 3. Synergy between Sentinel-MSI and Landsat-OLI to support high temporal frequency for soil salinity monitoring in an arid landscape
Chapter 4. Modern technologies for diagnosis and prognosis of salt-affected soils and poor-quality waters
Part 2. Drivers, Stressors and Indicators
Chapter 5. Salinity tolerance indicator
Chapter 6. Soil-plant-microbes interactions in salt-affected soils
Chapter 7. Salt tolerant microbes in mangroves: ecological role and bioprospecting potential
Chapter 8. The current understanding of mangrove forests of India
Part 3. Salinization Mechanisms and Impacts
Chapter 9. Causes and management of root-zone salinity and sodicity in the arid west Texas: field scale experience
Chapter 10. Salinity induced physiological and molecular responses of halophytes
Chapter 11. Characterization and problems of saline-sodic Vertisols and their management options
Chapter 12. Carbon dynamics in salt-affected soils
Chapter 13. Engineered polymeric and nano-materials for taming salty soils and waters used for crop production
Chapter 14. Potential pollutants in soil system: impacts and remediation
Chapter 15. Groundwater pollution through different contaminants: Indian scenario
Chapter 16. Tree-based systems for enhancing environmental services of saline environments
Part 4. Management Opportunities and Strategies
Chapter 17. Identification, evaluation and domestication of alternative crops for saline environments
Chapter 18. Engineering and biological approaches for drainage of irrigated lands in India
Chapter 19. Reclamation of salt-affected soils in drylands of Ethiopia: a review
Chapter 20. Reviving the productivity of sal t-affected lands: Technological options, constraints and research needs
Chapter 21. Coastal saline soils of India: problems, reclamative measures and management strategies
Chapter 22. Agro-interventions for sustainable management of salt-affected Vertisols in India
Chapter 23. Saline agroforestry- a hanging fruit for saline waterlogged ecologies
Chapter 24. Fruit and vegetable-based saline agricultural systems for nutritional and livelihood security
Chapter 25. Integrated farming system approach for managing saline and waterlogged ecologies
Chapter 26. Use of poor-quality waters for agricultural production
Chapter 27. Management of sodic waters in agriculture
Part 5. Impact Assessment, Policies and Socio-economic Issues
Chapter 28. Approaches and methodologies to socio-economic synergies with ecological sciences
Chapter 29. Management of salt-affected soil: Gender and socioeconomic dimensions for sustainable livelihoods
Chapter 30. Autonomous adaptation strategies to multiple stressors: a case study with marginal communities in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India
Chapter 31. Future research needs: way forward for combating salinity in climate change scenario.