Network Objectives

The objectives of the Network are the dissemination of information, improved coordination among scientists and extension staff, strengthening field experimental programmes, and extension of appropriate management practices to increase productivity of salt-affected soils or of land irrigated with saline water in different regions.

Network Activities

FAO Collaborative Projects and National Programmes in the Member Countries of the Network

Collaborative projects have been conducted in 22 participating countries to develop integrated management practices for sustainable use of salt-affected soil through experiments and demonstration pilot farms which are operated by national institutes concerned with the improvement of salt-affected soils in their countries. Another eight countries are associate members of the Network and are contributing to the Network with results from their own ongoing national programmes in specific areas related to management of Salt-affected Areas.

Workshops

FAO organizes an International Workshop (Network Meeting) every two years on Integrated Soil Management for Sustainable Use of Salt-affected Soils.

• The First International Workshop (First Meeting of the Network) was held in Manila, the Philippines, 6 to 10 November 1995. Results of the ongoing collaborative projects were discussed as well as information from technical sources, and plans were made for future joint research and cooperation. The countries that participated in the workshop were Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia and Hungary and representatives from UNEP, FAO, the IUSS (Subcommission on Salt-affected Soils) and IRRI.
• The Second International Workshop (Second Meeting of the Network) was organized in Cairo, Egypt, from 21 to 26 September 1997, in collaboration with the Egyptian Soil Union of Science (EUSS) and the Ein Shams University, in conjunction with the International Symposium on Sustainable Management of Salt-affected Soils in the Arid Ecosystems - as the subject was related to Network activities. Representatives of institutes involved in the FAO collaborative projects and members of the FAO Network from 12 countries (country members of the Network up to September 1997 were twenty-one): Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Iran, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia and Turkey and three associate members: Canada, Italy and Spain, participated in the Workshop. Another three countries: Colombia, Saudi Arabia and Sudan (not yet members at that time) participated in the activities of the Network’s Workshop and subsequently became members. The Workshop (the second meeting) discussed results of the ongoing FAO collaborative projects or national programmes in the 15 countries, identifying the problems of salt-affected soils and working out possible solutions; preparing recommendations; drawing up the outlines of required guidelines to be published on Integrated Management of Sustainable Use of Salt-affected Soil and establishing priority areas, programmes and follow-up action.
• The Third International Workshop (Third Meeting of the Network) was organized in Izmir, Turkey, from 6-9 September 1999, in collaboration with the Union of Soil Science of Turkey (USST) and the University of Ankara. In addition to the representatives of USST and the IUSS Subcommission on Salt-affected Soils, the participating countries were: Argentina, Egypt, Ghana, Iran, Mexico, Philippines, Romania, Spain, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, USA and Uzbekistan.
• In association with the above-mentioned Third International Workshop, an International Workshop was organized in Manila, the Philippines, from 26-30 July 1999, in collaboration with the Bureau of Soil and Water Management, Soil Resources and Development Center (BSWM/SRDC), as one of the activities of the FAO Project TCP/PHI/6712: Integrated Management of Salt-affected Coastal Soils in the Philippines. Participating countries were Australia, Bangladesh, China, Cuba, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and the USA. (The total number of participating country members of the Network in the two mentioned International Workshops were 19 countries, as the USA is not a member of the Network).
• The Fourth International Workshop (Fourth Meeting of the Network) will be organized in Valencia, Spain, in May 2001, in collaboration with the Universitat of Valencia. In addition to the participation of the IUSS Subcommission on Salt-affected Soils, the participating countries are expected to be Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Spain, South Africa, Syria, Tanzania and Uzbekistan
• In association with the above mentioned Fourth International Workshop, an Asian Subregional Workshop will be organized in Thailand, from 20-24 November 2000, in collaboration with the Land Development Department as one of the activities of the FAO Project TCP/THA/8922 on the Impact of Shrimp Farming on Arable Land and Rehabilitation of Resultant Salt-affected Soils. Participating countries will be Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam and the USA.

Newsletter

The Network has been preparing and publishing a six-monthly Newsletter on Sustainable Productive Use of Salt-affected Habitat (SPUSH) and since 1996, every year. SPUSH is a landmark on the way to coordinated activities, covering both studies and actual utilization of salt-affected soils and leading to better cooperation and exchange of experience. Five issues have now been published and the sixth is due to being published in November 2000. The seventh and eighth issues will subsequently be published in February and June 2001, to compensate the delay in publication of the previous issue.

• June 1995
• December 1995
• June 1996
• December 1996
• December 1997
• November 2000 (under preparation)

The November 2000 issue has been delayed because the original idea was to only publish Network activities on the Network Internet Web Page but it has now been decided to also continue publishing the SPUSH Newsletter.

Publications

• Workshop Proceedings of the First International Workshop (Network Meeting) in Manila, 6-10 November 1995 (published)
• Workshop Proceedings of the Second International Workshop (Network Meeting) in Cairo, 21-26 September 1997 (Proceedings of FAO Network Workshop on Integrated Management of Sustainable Use of Salt-affected Soils and the International Symposium on Sustainable Management of Salt-affected Soils in the Arid Ecosystem (published).
• Workshop Proceedings of the Third International Workshop (Network Meeting), held in Manila, the Philippines, 26-30 July 1999 (under publication).
• Workshop Proceedings of the Third International Workshop (Network Meeting) held in Izmir, Turkey, 6-9 September 1999 (under publication).
• Workshop Proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop (Network Meeting) to be held in Thailand, 20-24 November 2000 (will be published in February 2001),
• Workshop Proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop (Network Meeting) to be held in Valencia, Spain, May 2001 (will be published as a CD-ROM in July 2001).
• Guidelines on Integrated Management and Sustainable Use of Salt-affected Soils (to be published in the year 2001).

Development of Models enabling the Prediction of Soil Salinity Build-Up throughout the Root Zone over Time as Affected by Rainfall, Irrigation and Crop Growth

• A submodel to predict evapotranspiration using an approach consistent with FAO methodology.
• A submodel to predict root development and water extraction within salinized soil profiles and resultant relative shoot growth (compared to non-stressed conditions) by generalized crop type.
• A submodel to predict carbon dioxide concentration within the soil air of the root zone.
• A submodel to predict the pertinent soil hydraulic properties from soil type information or for reference soil textures.

Membership

Members of the Network are from FAO member countries in different regions; all having the problem of salt-affected soils. At present 22 Network member countries are involved in ongoing FAO collaborative projects to develop integrated management practices for sustainable use of salt-affected soils, through experiments and demonstration pilot farms which are operated by national institutes concerned with the improvement of salt-affected soils in their countries. Another eight countries, at their request, are associate members and are involved in their country national programmes on Management of Salt-affected Soils.

Selection of these countries is based on three categories:

1. Coverage of different regions of the world and in countries with widespread salinity problems
2. Coverage of different causes of salinity, i.e. natural cycles (marine cycle as the main natural cause of salinity and sodicity) and anthropogenic cycles (soil and water mismanagement and irrigation with saline water) as the main causes of man made salinization.
3. Coverage of the well-known management practices according to dominant practices used in participating countries and their strategies for management of salt-affected soils.

However, in the first workshop (meeting) of the Network, held in the Philippines, 6-10 November 1995, the workshop participants suggested dividing future activities into four groups following the integrated approach, including several management practices to be adopted (organic matter, mineral fertilizer, chemical amendments, drainage and leaching, levelling, physical methods including ploughing, subsoiling, etc.; crop sequence, planting procedures, irrigation methods, mulching and using crop residues). Each country may participate in more than one group

The four group titles are now:

1. Management of Coastal Salt-affected Soils (Australia, Bangladesh, China, Cuba, Indonesia, Philippines, Romania, Spain, Thailand, Tanzania, Vietnam, with Thailand as the Coordinator);
2. Management of irrigated Salt-affected Soils in Drylands (Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Egypt, Ghana, Hungary, India, Iran, Kenya, Mexico, Romania, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and Uzbekistan, with Argentina as the Coordinator);
3. Management of Soils irrigated with Saline Water (Egypt, Ghana, Iran, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tunisia and Syria, with Pakistan as the Coordinator); and
4. Management of Rainfed Salt-affected Soils in Drylands (Argentina, Australia, Canada, Ghana, Hungary, India, Pakistan, Sudan, Thailand, Tunisia and Turkey, with Tunisia as the Coordinator).