What to plant on saline-alkali land: keep the seedling alive before you chase yield
A crop that comes up is worth more than a high-yield variety that dies.
- Year after year, missing plants; maize is a gamble.
- A salt-tolerant neighbour still stands.
- A shortage yellows evenly and still emerges; salty land often misses plants.
- Some maize and wheat hate salt. A salt-tolerant variety helps more than another bag.
- Don’t paste a neighbour’s density; don’t plant sensitive vegetables on a heavy patch.
- Variety: A locally approved salt-tolerant variety. Don’t copy a story from another county
- Name what you see before you feed.
- If leaves, roots and the surface disagree, stop.
What you see in the field
Year after year, missing plants; maize is a gamble. A salt-tolerant neighbour still stands.Squat on the whitest, worst strip and scrape the crust. Compare with a neighbour that is still green. White crust plus scorched margins count; wilt without a crust may just be drought. Note whether the ditch actually runs.
Tap to enlarge. The caption says what to photograph. Missing field photos are marked as to-be-added.
Why it looks like this
The field looks like this because the root cannot take water or nutrients the usual way. Fix the soil condition first — drainage, salt, acidity, compaction or a salt of fertiliser — then a thin feed. Rates live in the range on this page; confirm with a local station and the label.
Easy to mix up
Looks like “Short of fertiliser”
A shortage yellows evenly and still emerges; salty land often misses plants.
Looks like “The wrong variety”
Some maize and wheat hate salt. A salt-tolerant variety helps more than another bag.
Do this / don’t do that
- 1Compare the worst plants with a neighbour ridge. Photograph whole plant, close-up and soil surface before you add fertiliser.
- 2Match roots, leaves and the soil surface to this guide. If they do not line up, do not copy a bag count.
- 3Use the rate range on this page only as a range. Confirm with a local station and the product label.
Don’t do this first
- Don’t paste a neighbour’s density; don’t plant sensitive vegetables on a heavy patch.
Rate range
Variety
A locally approved salt-tolerant variety
Don’t copy a story from another county.
Density
A little thinner than non-salty land
Save the stand first.
These are ranges. Confirm with your local extension station and the product label.
When you see Year after year, test. Walk an S and mix — one hole is not the field.
Lesson video
2026-03-09 · Li Zeyu · For learning. Serious damage: local agronomist or a soil test.
For learning only. Fertiliser and pesticide decisions need a local agronomist and a soil test.
Not sure? Photograph the field to identify the problem