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<br /> <br />tolerances such as celery, beans, lettuce, carrots and <br /> <br /> <br />cabbage, together with melons and practically all citrus <br />W <br />~ fruits could be greatly reduc~d by soil salinity buildup <br />~ <br />~ (Figure 9). These are high-value crops which contribute <br /> <br />substantially to the economic well-being of the grower. <br />other money crops such as sugar beets and flax have suffered <br />damage from excessive soil-salinity (Figures 10 and 11). <br /> <br />Water quality criteria for irrigation and general <br /> <br />agricultural purposes have been developed by the Federal <br />Salinity Laboratory staff (10). These cover a wide range <br /> <br />and are closely interrelated with soil texture, infiltration <br /> <br />rate, drainage, climate and crop salt tolerance. <br /> <br />As the salinity of applied water increases, a larger <br />quantity is ordinarily needed to prevent salt buildup in the <br /> <br />root zone. In some soils continued irrigations using <br /> <br />limited amounts of water -- only that necessary to maintain <br />field capacity -- will invarably induce salt concentration. <br />The buildup can progress to the stage where it adversely <br /> <br />affects the surface and greatly inhibits plant growth, <br /> <br />creates large "kill" areas and may ultimately result in the <br /> <br />abandonment of much land (Figure 12). <br /> <br />Many soils in their natural (virgin) environment are <br /> <br />highly mineralized and may be either sodic or saline. Sodic <br /> <br />28 <br />