Topband: salt the ground?

[Keith Jillings]

k3ky@erols.com wrote:

> With the possible exception of salting a *buried* circular
> trench around (but not touching) a metal ground rod, and
> then watering it well, I continue to believe that salting the
> ground is quite unproductive and an insult to the earth.
> It may be an environmental crime as well, either in some
> local jurisdictions or in the US as a whole.

Having recently visited a local agricultural research institute with some 
Tanzanian visitors whose crops were failing more and more often, I can attest to 
that!

They were using Lake Victoria as their water source.   The lake is very slightly 
salty.   Over the years, the salt has remained in the ground while the water has 
  evaporated or been "used" by the plants.   The soil is now "dead" and 
"unlikely to recover in less than a few thousand years, if at all".   And that 
wasn't large quantities of salt all at once, but a very small amount spread over 
a lng time.

Don't do it!   Copper radials are more effective and a lot kinder on the 
environment.

Keith
-- 
Keith Jillings
G3OIT   GW3OIT   G-UTSY at EGMC