A Dataset on the Topsoil Salinization Characteristics in the Northern Margin of the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang(2024.04.20-04.21)

Soil salinization is a key issue restricting the sustainable development of agriculture and the stability of the ecological environment in arid and semi-arid regions. Xinjiang is the region with the widest distribution and largest area of saline-alkali land in China. Among them, the Tailan River Irrigation District, located on the northern margin of the Tarim Basin in southern Xinjiang, has particularly prominent salinization problems due to factors such as arid climate, imperfect irrigation and drainage systems, and improper irrigation methods. Moreover, the lack of systematic soil salinity survey data in the past 20 years has seriously hindered the implementation of precise management of saline-alkali land.Taking the Tailan River Irrigation District as the study area, this research deployed 164 sampling points using the equal-interval zoned sampling method in ArcGIS. In accordance with the Chinese agricultural industry standard Technical Specifications for Monitoring of Farmland Soil Environmental Quality (NY/T 395-2025), soil samples were collected from the 0-120 cm topsoil layer at 7 different depths from April 20 to April 21, 2024. The soil samples were pretreated with reference to the standard operating procedure for soil electrical conductivity (soil/water, 1:5) proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Key physical and chemical indicators such as soil pH value, electrical conductivity (EC), moisture content, total soluble salts (TSS) and eight major ions (Cl-, SO42-, CO32-, HCO3-, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+) were determined in accordance with the Chinese standard. After sample loss screening, data accuracy verification, and parallel tests, data from 118 qualified sampling points and 807 soil samples were finally obtained, and a dataset of soil physical and chemical properties in the Tailan River Irrigation District was constructed. This dataset presents the spatial distribution characteristics of soil salinity, moisture content, and electrical conductivity in the irrigation district, providing high-quality data support for the improvement of salinized land, adjustment of crop layout, and formulation of relevant farmland management policies in the region. It also helps promote the transformation of the irrigation district from extensive management to precise governance.