Contribution of saline shallow water table in crop water requirements: challenges and prospects

<p>The increasing demand for food and fiber by its ever-increasing population put a high<br>pressure onfresh water resources. Optimum utilization of surface and groundwaterresources has<br>become extremely important to fill the gap between water demand and supply.Shallow groundwater<br>found within about 180 cm of the soil surface can be a significant source of water for agricultural<br>production, especially during drought periods. The fraction of the crop water demand that can be met<br>by shallow water tables depends on the crops grown, irrigation and drainage management, the soil<br>type, the depth to the water table, and the shallow groundwater salinity. Several researches focused<br>on the upward flow possibilities of groundwater from shallow water tables in terms of root zone<br>hydraulic characteristics and soil salinization and the need for subsurface drainage. Due in part to the<br>greater capillary rise infine-textured soils, greater rates of upward flow have been found in loamy<br>soils than in sandy soils with small capillary rise or in clayey soils with very slow permeability.This<br>review highlights bothContribution of saline shallow water table in crop water requirement, and<br>thepotential of biochar in alleviating salt stress inplants and future prospect of the role of biochar<br>under salt stress in plants.</p>