Introduction to soil sodicity

Abstract

Land managers with paddocks that are prone to waterlogging, poor crop or pasture emergence, gully erosion or tunnel erosion may be experiencing the effects of sodicity.Sodicity becomes a problem when there is sufficient sodium attached to the clay in the soil to affect soil structure. These soils are referred to as sodic and are often regarded as poorly structured and difficult to manage, and are susceptible to soil degradation such as erosion. In Australia about 30% of the agricultural land is sodic. That is about five times the area of land that is estimated to be saline. Not all poorl y structured soils are sodic. Land managers need to distinguish between poorly stru tured non-sodic soils and sodic soils as management differs for each situation.