Reduced Access to Water

• Plants growing in saline conditions or irrigated with salt water actually tend to be dehydrated. The salt seeps into the soil and prevents the plants from drawing water out of it. The higher the salt concentrations, the more trouble the plant has extracting water from the soil.
  
  

Reduced Growth

• Salt tends to stunt plants, resulting in smaller leaves, stems and roots. According to the II International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops, bean plants grown with significant salt levels produce 58 percent less leaves and stems and 85 percent fewer beans.
  
  

Leaf Burn

• High salt levels in irrigation water also damage foliage. Plants irrigated with salty water may suffer from leaf burn: yellowing or browning of leaf tips and edges. This leaf damage prevents plants from producing food as effectively and contributes to poor growth.