What is Salinity and Sodicity?
Soil salinity and sodicity are related problems that are commom in North Dakota. Both eastern and western North Dakota have their share of saline and sodic soils. For example, 24 and 17 percent of the soils in Grand Forks County and Slope County, respectively, are affected by salinity or sodicity (Soil Survey Staff, 1987). Further, soil survey data from 34 of the 52 counties in North Dakota show approximately 1,900,000 acres affected by sodium and 700,000 acres affected by salinity. These problem soils compose about 9 percent of the 34-county area. Salinity and sodicity are often seen as bare ground with whitish crust that has a scabby appearance. Scab-land, salt-land, alkali, alkaline, and sour-ground are a few of the local terms that describe these areas. Some of these terms are misleading, because they imply problems that are not necessarily related to salinity or sodicity. For instance, alkaline and sour-ground actually refer to soil acidity. Alkaline soils are basic (pH > 7) and s
