Skip to content

Back to Reading the soil test

Total soluble salt

Total salt is the pile. Salty and soapy are different jobs.

Speed
  1. Total soluble salt。
  2. Total salt is the pile. Salty and soapy are different jobs.。
  3. How much soluble salt is in the soil. Read it with EC.。
  4. How much soluble salt is in the soil. Read it with EC.。

How it appears on the sheet

How much soluble salt is in the soil. Read it with EC.

A sketch. Do not fertilise from the picture alone.

Common units

Often g/kg or %. Read with EC.

How to read the number

How much soluble salt is in the soil. Read it with EC. Coast, dry irrigated country, and heavy greenhouse base dressings push it up Easy to mix up: Alkali is pH and sodium. Salt injury can sit near pH 7. Don’t gypsum every white crust Total salt is the pile. Salty and soapy are different jobs.。

Thresholds only, not a prescription. Rates live in the field guide. This page does not hand you a bag count.

What it looks like in the field

How much soluble salt is in the soil. Read it with EC.

Don’t do this

  • The same bag on every white crust.
  • Flooding without a ditch.
  • Alkali is pH and sodium. Salt injury can sit near pH 7. Don’t gypsum every white crust.

Lesson video