Fundamentals of water chemistry and salinity

Salt-related chemicals present in irrigation water come from many sources; the main sources are examined here. In addition, some of the common constituents of water are listed and the typical concentration range for each is described. This section also defines several water quality parameters that are useful when analyzing a water source and assessing whether the water will be suitable for irrigating plants. To learn more, choose a topic by clicking on it.

• Sources of salt-related ions in water
• Water quality parameters and constituents of interest
• Reporting the concentrations of ions and molecules
  • Conversion of water chemistry units: mg/L to meq/L
• Measures of salinity: TDS and EC; estimating TDS from EC
• Toxicity of certain ions to plants (brief intro)
• Other constituents of concern: pH, bicarbonate and carbonate, residual chlorine, nutrients, suspended solids

Each of the submodules listed above is designed so you can read through it completely in three to ten minutes. After you've mastered all these basic concepts, click your browser's forward button to move on to several advanced topics.

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