**3. Management of saline soils**

There are two major approaches to improving and sustaining productivity in a saline environment-either modifying the environment to suit the plant or modifying the plant to suit the environment [14]. The farmers very well know the adverse effects of soil salinity in terms of reduced plant growth and yields. Since the saline area is increasing day by day, the farmers are shifting to various other alternates like change of cropping pattern, green manuring, dairying etc. along with use of open drainages and mulching. Although it is difficult to manage saline soils through any chemical amendment, the only precautionary method is to use good quality water and grow salt tolerant varieties of crops.

The consideration of various studies on soil salinity have led to only a single observation for timely implementation of corrective measures to stop further salinization and conversion of fertile soils to waste lands. This approach cannot be achieved by a single adaptation, it needs to be a cumulative effort to spread the awareness about soil sustainability and enhanced crop production. In the coming time the concept of soil management and sustainability should be the one of the important issue to be taken care of or we have to bear the low crop productivity (www.nabard.org).
