Irrigators could benefit by periodically sampling and testing their irrigation water. Although soil testing will provide a general guideline of the effect irrigation water might be having on soil quality, the chemistry of the soil will only reflect the chemical content of irrigation water after several cropping seasons. If an irrigator is going to sample water for testing, the sample should be collected after the well or supply has been pumped for some time and the sample should be placed in a clean container. Table 1 provides a summary of the limitations that might be associated with irrigation water. Salinity generally has more of an adverse effect on the crop than on the soil being irrigated.
Most crops have some degree of sensitivity to salt, because of the competition for water.
In addition, some constituents of dissolved salt can sometimes be toxic to plants in high concentrations. Sodium, on the other hand, can have an adverse effect on soil permeability. Irrigation water that is suitable for one soil may not be suitable for another soil. Sodium affects clayey soils more than it affects sandy soils. Soluble salts are leached from sandy soils more readily than they are leached from clayey soils.