---
title: "Saline and Alkaline Soil: UPSC Geography | Model Diplomat"
description: "Saline and alkaline soils are salt-affected soils that hinder crop growth, making them crucial for agriculture studies in India and UPSC preparation."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/saline-and-alkaline-soil"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Saline and alkaline soils are salt-affected soils in which excess soluble salts or exchangeable sodium impair fertility, plant growth, and physical structure.
- What is the precise difference between saline and alkaline (sodic) soils?
- Why is gypsum used to reclaim alkaline soils but not saline ones?
- Where are salt-affected soils concentrated in India?
- What is secondary salinisation and how does it arise?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

Saline and alkaline soils are salt-affected soils in which excess soluble salts or exchangeable sodium impair fertility, plant growth, and physical structure.

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The ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute at Karnal reported in 2021 that gypsum-based reclamation had restored over 2 million hectares of sodic soil across Haryana and Uttar Pradesh since the 1970s.

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