Fundamentals

Sources of salt-related ions in water

Salts in soil

The particular type of salt that forms in a soil depends on many factors, including the climate, the chemical composition of the soil, and the chemistry of the irrigation water. The rate at which salts accumulate depends on these same factors. It also depends on the amount of water applied annually as irrigation and the total amount of precipitation (rain plus snow).

Bear in mind that on many lands the salt that has precipitated exists in fairly low amounts, and so it may not be visible to the naked eye.

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