Which outcome occurred when repeated cycles of draining and reflooding degraded soil salinity in ancient Mesopotamian agriculture?

💡 Explanation

When irrigation was practiced without proper drainage, salts accumulated in the topsoil through capillary action and evaporation due to increased evapotranspiration, gradually inhibiting plant growth, and thus Mesopotamian farmers switched to salt tolerant crops. Therefore, increased barley (salt-tolerant) resulted, rather than enhanced palms, terracing, or continuous high yields, which require other initial conditions.

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