Review on Causes, Effects, and Management of Soil Salinity on Irrigated Rice Fields in Tanzania.

Salinization is a process of increasing concentrations of salts in soil and water. Soil salinity is the most serious agricultural problem in irrigation agriculture in Tanzania. Severe salinity can cause significantly lower yields, food insecurity, and environmental degradation. If not properly addressed, soil salinization can accelerate and potentially expand to currently unaffected irrigated agricultural land. Despite the efforts made by the government and other stakeholders, rice production in irrigated rice fields in Tanzania is still experiencing low yields. Current rice yields are between 2.5 and 4 tons/ha, which is low compared to the average rice yields reported in other countries. Salinity problems are caused by the prevailing climate characterized by high evapotranspiration, geological and geographical characteristics of the area, quality of irrigation water, and inadequate land use practices. This paper aims to review available information on the causes and effects of soil salinity on irrigated rice fields in Tanzania and to provide information on management strategies to adjust soil salinity and improve soil fertility. References from books, papers, journals, online readings, and dissertation papers from different universities and institutions were used to get information for this paper review. In this review, the various reasons that cause soil salinity in irrigated fields in Tanzania have been identified, which are the nature of rocks, poor irrigation management, and non-compliance with established irrigation regulations. Also, the effects of soil salinity in Tanzania have resulted in a decrease in yields, an increase in costs of production, poor quality of products, and water shortages for irrigation. Lastly, some recommendations identified to solve the challenges of soil salinity include setting up a local drainage system on affected land, renovating some irrigation facilities, reclaiming the affected soil with gypsum and manure, and flushing all salt-affected water with non-salt water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]