Managing salinity in irrigation water: a practical primer

Across much of the Mediterranean and arid agriculture, salinity is the constraint that doesn't announce itself. Yields drift down, root systems stay shallow, and growers reach for nitrogen when the real problem is sodium.

Why sodium hurts

Excess sodium displaces calcium on soil exchange sites, degrading structure and reducing water infiltration. The result is poorer rooting and reduced access to the nutrients already in the soil.

A calcium-first response

Supplying available calcium — complexed with organic acids so it stays mobile — helps counteract sodium's effect on soil and irrigation water. Combined with organic matter and humic substances that rebuild structure, it restores the conditions roots need.

• Test water and soil for sodium and the sodium adsorption ratio.
• Prioritise available, complexed calcium over raw gypsum where speed matters.
• Build organic matter and humic content to stabilise structure.
• Use stress-mitigating biostimulants during the hottest, saltiest stretches.

Salinity is a long game. The aim isn't a single rescue application but a programme that keeps the soil working season after season.