The accumulation of salts in soil resulting from improper irrigation practices, which can harm crop growth, is called what?

• A. Salinization
• B. Leaching
• C. Eutrophication
• D. Sedimentation

Answer: (A)

When irrigation water adds dissolved salts to soil and water leaves the root zone mainly by evaporation or limited drainage, salts begin to accumulate in the soil. This buildup raises soil salinity, which makes it harder for plant roots to take up water and can cause ionic stress or toxicity, leading to stunted growth and lower yields. This phenomenon is common in dry regions with high evaporation and poor drainage, where insufficient flushing of salts occurs. Managing it involves improving drainage, ensuring enough leaching to wash salts below the root zone, using water with lower salt content, and choosing crops or practices that tolerate salinity.

The other terms don’t fit: leaching refers to washing salts out of the soil with excess water, which helps prevent salinization rather than cause it; eutrophication is nutrient enrichment of water bodies causing algal blooms; sedimentation is the settling of solid particles.