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Impact Report

For plan Identification and Management of New Mexico's Saline and Sodium Affected Soils
Date January 21, 2011, 6:46 pm
For Objective Medium-term Show medium-term objectives
Impact Report Eighteen percent of the 826 in-state soil samples submitted to NMSU SWAT lab for salinity analysis were considered sodium affected and twenty percent were saline. The highest percentage of samples that were sodic came from Dona Ana County (37%) and Socorro County (36%), followed by San Juan (33%, Union (29%), Luna (26%), Valencia (24%), McKinley (21%), Bernalillo (20%), Eddy (20%), Hidalgo (19%), Sandoval (17%). Grant, Otero, Quay, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, and Sierra counties had 10% or less sodic soils reported. For those clients contacted, gypsum was not readily available for large scale application. However, home and garden centers did carry the small containers for small plots. Pecan growers are using gypsum on land that has been identified as sodic. The majority of saline soils were also sodic but not all. Leaching is the best management practice for those with good drainage. One Valencia County client with a high water table reported that increasing the soil depth with extra soil and establishing a gravel drain with perforated pipe allowed him to have a better garden. Eddy County reported the highest percentage of saline soils with 47% followed by Curry County (41%), Otero (43%), San Juan 33%), Socorro (32%), Bernalillo (28%), Taos (27%), Valencia (24%), Chaves (23%), Colfax (22%), Dona Ana and McKinley (21%), Luna (16%), Santa Fe (15%), Union (14%), and the rest with less than 10%. Most clients reported using heavy applications of manure or compost, often times over several years. Some of the field soils had been receiving green water from dairy farms and had elevated salinity. Clients were instructed to base applications on nutrient and salt content after having the material tested. Those that did were still able to apply organic amendments but at a reduced rate to strike a balance with nutrition and salinity.