Impact of agricultural management on salts accumulation in dryland soils of central Tunisia

Drylands represent about one-third of the global land and mainly occur in Africa Asia. Because arid conditions, dryland soils are characterized by salt accumulation. Although salt-affected unsuitable for agriculture, some lands have been cultivated a long time. However, especially last decades, because increasingly warmer climatic conditions human migration toward favorable environments, progressive abandonment degradation drylands has occurred. Therefore, it is necessary to assess effects cultivation on saline develop appropriate soil management techniques ensure their fertility. This work aims evaluate evolution salinization from currently that abandoned different lengths time areas central Tunisia. Morphological physicochemical properties studied indicated cultivation, through irrigation presence cover, reduced accumulation upper horizons. Salt leaching towards deeper horizons depressed evaporation, which capillary rising, maintained electrical conductivity within tolerable values most crops. Conversely, previously fields compromised fertility, threatening conservation stabilization agricultural production medium term.