Attempts to acidify Manitoba soils are usually unsuccessful since the high calcium carbonate content effectively neutralizes acidity from added sulphur or nitrogen fertilizers. Efforts should be made to manage factors that increase soil pH. High pH soils may result from erosion, tillage or land leveling which removes or dilutes surface soil with more calcareous subsoil and from salt movement or salinity in the soil. Salinity Soil salinity is a soil condition where water soluble salts in the crop rooting zone impede crop growth. The severity of the effects and strategies to address the problem depend upon soil testing to identify the amount and type of salts present. High salt content increases the osmotic potential of the soil solution and prevents crop uptake of water.
Crops are generally most sensitive to salinity during germination and emergence.
Some plants are more sensitive to salinity than others, depending on growth habit, root system, etc. To assess the type of salinity problem, both affected and non-affected areas of the field should be sampled. Electrical conductivity of a soil-water extract is an index of the concentration of dissolved salts in the soil. The effect of salinity on crop growth. Another type of soil problem occurs when sodium levels are high in relation to calcium and magnesium in the soil.