Effects of Salinity Stress on Crop Yield and Management Strategies in Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54112/bcsrj.v7i4.2280Keywords:
Agriculture, Crops, Pakistan, Salinity, SoilAbstract
Soil salinity is a major abiotic constraint to agricultural productivity in Pakistan, particularly in irrigated and arid agricultural regions where salt accumulation affects soil quality, crop growth, and grain yield. Objective: To evaluate the effect of soil salinity stress on crop yield and assess the yield pattern associated with selected salinity management strategies under Pakistani field conditions. Methods: This field-based analytical study was conducted from July 2025 to January 2026 in salinity-prone agricultural areas of Pakistan. A total of 10 field observations involving major crops, including wheat, rice, cotton, and maize, were included. Soil salinity was measured as electrical conductivity of saturated soil extract (ECe) and categorized as low, moderate, high, or severe. Soil pH, irrigation-water electrical conductivity, plant height, grain yield, percentage yield reduction, and applied salinity management strategy were recorded. Continuous variables were summarized as mean ± standard deviation. Grain yield was compared across salinity categories using one-way ANOVA. Pearson correlation and simple linear regression were used to assess the association between soil salinity and grain yield. Results: The mean soil salinity was 6.81 ± 3.50 dS/m, while mean grain yield was 3.57 ± 1.40 t/ha. Grain yield declined progressively with increasing salinity, from 5.06 ± 0.57 t/ha under low salinity to 1.73 ± 0.30 t/ha under severe salinity. Mean yield reduction increased from 4.00% in low-salinity fields to 62.50% in severe-salinity fields. The difference in grain yield across salinity categories was statistically significant, F(3,6) = 31.35, p < 0.001. Soil salinity showed a strong inverse correlation with grain yield (r = −0.942, p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that soil salinity explained 88.8% of yield variation, with each 1 dS/m increase in ECe associated with a 0.357 t/ha decrease in grain yield. Improved irrigation showed the highest descriptive mean yield among management strategies; however, subgroup comparisons were limited by small and unequal sample sizes. Conclusion: Increasing soil salinity was strongly associated with reduced crop yield under Pakistani field conditions. Soil salinity, irrigation-water quality, and soil alkalinity were key factors influencing yield performance, while better vegetative growth was associated with higher productivity. Integrated salinity management, including improved irrigation, organic amendments, gypsum application where appropriate, salt-tolerant cultivars, and routine soil and water monitoring, may help sustain crop productivity in salt-affected areas. Larger multi-location studies are required to validate these findings and compare management strategies more robustly.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mehwish Rani, Huma Aslam, Banista Batool, Tahira Bibi, Sher Hassan, Javaid Hassan, Rehan Khalid, Shabana Hassan, Zubair Ahmed Khan, Saif Ur Rehman
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