Application of Field Research for Land Management Decisions: Prevention and Reclamation of Soil Salinity Using Site-Specific Data.

Soil salinization is a global issue, affecting 831 million ha of arable land and resulting in approximately US$ 27.3 billion in costs annually. Given the extent of soil salinity, it is imperative to obtain a better understanding of crop productivity in response to increasing levels of soil salinity under field conditions, as this knowledge is more pertinent to producers managing saline soils. This study aims to determine the relationship between corn and soybean yield to natural gradients of soil salinity over two growing seasons. Results of this study are intended to establish crop tolerance thresholds, as well as yield prediction curves that can be used by producers managing naturally saline soils. Ultimately, these results will be incorporated into an economic model to estimate the cost of crop declines associated with soil salinization in an effort to encourage preventative and reclamation management of saline soils. Often, it is difficult to convince producers of the benefits of preventative and reclamation management. Through the use of site-specific data correlated to financial costs, however, this study was able to depict productivity declines attributed to soil salinity in terms of field-scale economic losses.  Results of this study have demonstrated the willingness of producers to effectively manage saline soils using a variety of water management strategies, such as tile drainage installation and cover cropping.