Drip irrigation as a sustainable practice under saline shallow ground water condtions

Many areas along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley of California are affected by saline soil due to shallow, saline ground water conditions. Artificial subsurface drainage is not an option for addressing the salinity problem because of the lack of drainage water disposal facilities. Thus, the salinity/drainage problem of the valley must be addressed through improved irrigation practices such as converting to drip irrigation. The effect of drip irrigation on soil salinity, soil water content, and water table depth was evaluated from both experimental and model results. While a water balance showed little or no field-wide leaching, soil salinity data clearly showed localized leaching around the drip lines.