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We investigated the effects of organic amendments, municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) and rice-straw compost (RSC) with and without mineral fertilisers on biological and chemical properties of a saline soil. Field experiments were conducted for two consecutive years during 2012–14. In the first year, application of 8tha–1 of MSWC+50% of the recommended dose of fertilisers (RDF) resulted in higher microbial biomass carbon (MBC), enzyme activities, soil organic carbon (SOC), available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) than 7tha–1 of RSC+50% RDF, after mustard (Brassica juncea) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) harvests. Combined use of 8tha–1 of MSWC+50% RDF resulted in 47% and 54% more MBC than the unfertilised control after mustard and pearl millet harvests, respectively. Dehydrogenase activity was significantly higher with 100% RDF than the control after 2 years of the cropping cycle. Among organic amendments, MSWC was superior to RSC in terms of MBC, and activities of dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and urease. SOC was significantly increased under MSWC+50% RDF compared with 100% RDF alone. Significant build-up of soil fertility in terms of available N, P and K was observed with RSC+50% RDF compared with the control. During the second year of the cropping system, soil treated with RSC+50% RDF had 14%, 17% and 9% higher N, P and K than soil treated with 100% RDF, after pearl millet harvest. The magnitude of change in soil electrical conductivity and pH was low during 2012–13; however, soil salinity decreased by 55% and 48% with MSWC+50% RDF and RSC+50% RDF, respectively, relative to the control at 120 days of pearl millet growth in 2013–14. Application of MSWC +50% RDF produced 2.5 and 2.70tha–1 of mustard and pearl millet, and increased grain yield by 19% and 15%, respectively, compared with 100% RDF. Integrated use organic amendments and mineral fertiliser is recommended for promoting biological and chemical properties of saline soil in a mustard–pearl millet cropping system.

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Problem definition Spatial information on salinity is required at the farm level to enable suitable soil, crop and water management practices. Rationale To facilitate this, we used an electromagnetic (EM) induction instrument for rapid measurement of apparent soil electrical conductivity (EC a—mS m–1) across the 11 ha area of the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute experimental farm in Nain, Haryana, India. Methods The ECa was measured using an EM38 in horizontal (ECah) and vertical (ECav) modes on a grid survey. Using the ECa data, we selected 21 locations using the response surface sampling design (RSSD) module of Electrical Conductivity Sampling Assessment and Prediction (ESAP) software. We collected soil samples at four depth increments, including two topsoil (0–0.15 and 0.15–0.30 m), a subsurface (0.3–0.6m) and a subsoil (0.6–0.9m) and measured the soil electrical conductivity (EC e—dS m–1). Results We developed multiple linear regression to predict ECe using the ESAP software from ECah and ECav and two trend surface parameters (i.e., Easting and Northing) across the farm. The prediction accuracy and bias were compared at different depth increments, and results of the spatial distributions of ECe using ordinary kriging (OK) interpolation were described in terms of the crop and soil use and management implications. Conclusions We conclude the overall approach allows for generations of a digital soil maps (DSMs) of ECe which serve as baseline data that will allow the monitoring of any rehabilitation effort of salt‐affected soils according to their actual degree of salinity.