The Influence of Soil Salinity Gradients On Corn and Soybean Production and Nutrient Cycling.

Crop response to salt-affected soils is of increasing interest in North Dakota.  Over the past 30 years, Eastern North Dakota has entered a wet-cycle, leading to a higher water table and transport of salts from deep in the soil profile to the surface.  As a result, producers are experiencing various levels of yield reductions in both corn and soybeans.  In this greenhouse study, the effects of various salt levels on above- and below-ground corn and soybean productivity were evaluated.  Above-ground parameters included leaf damage and biomass, while below-ground parameters included root development and nodulation, in the case of soybeans. Soil nitrogen pools following a soybean crop were also evaluated in response to the common practice of reducing fertilizer inputs the following year when corn is grown.