Precision technology isn’t just for farming anymore. The Dickinson Press reports that the Golden Valley Soil Conservation District in North Dakota is working on saline reclamation project. The project will examine the impact of increased levels of saline in surface and groundwater. Golden Valley says the higher levels of saline result in degraded water bodies and reduced crop and forage production. Precision farming technology and GPS technology are a big part of making the research possible.
Four cooperative conservation efforts in the state received funding from a $600,000 pot. The efforts target salinity management, erosion control in the Red River Valley, precision farming, soil health and invasive weeds on grazing land…
Maps with saline areas outlined before, during and after management changes can also be used to measure reclamation with soil tests and viewing saline effects using GPS. Down the road, wells will detect a water table rise recurring with crop fallow or intensive annual cropping. This gives producers time to make land use changes before the salt levels reduce production, stated the literature.
NRCS assistant state conservationist Jennifer Heglund is in charge of EQIP and part of the selection process.
“A proposal is evaluated based on the impact it would have on local natural resource concerns and how appropriate and applicable the proposal is for the farming and ranching operations in that area,” Heglund said. “In western North Dakota, there has been a big promotion of no-till type practices and still there are some salinity issues that are making agriculture difficult mainly due to saline seeps.”
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