Soil salinity measurement and effects on corn in southeast Colorado

Abstract

Global salinization of irrigated lands results in a $12 billion (US) reduction in global crop production annually. A joint effort between Utah State University, Colorado State University, and Mehran University in Pakistan aimed to investigate the impacts and movement of salts in agronomic systems, and identify common solutions. This was done through water and soil monitoring in Southeast Colorado in a surface irrigation setting. Results indicated that salts are loaded onto fields because of saline water, and get trapped in root zones by shallow water tables. The added salt decreases osmotic potential in soil, making root water uptake more difficult.