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Identification and Management of New Mexico's Saline and Sodium Affected Soils (Otero County)

Plan Goal

Specialist and Associates from the Forest Management Program will elicit feedback at workshops, demonstrations, local meetings, and other venues to estimate the effectiveness of current programming efforts. Using this feedback, adjustments will be made to

Situation Statement

Specialist and Associates from the Forest Management Program will elicit feedback at workshops, demonstrations, local meetings, and other venues to estimate the effectiveness of current programming efforts. Using this feedback, adjustments will be made to programming content and outreach.

Target Audience and Actions

Soil test information by county will be shared and explained with consultants, Growers, farmers, home and land owners, and USDA personnel regarding the occurence of salinity and sodium affected soils. Using GIS (Geographic Information System) to generate a map to tabular data of the state identifying areas of concern regarding sodium and salinity issues will be generated to help with the long-term education effort. Soil test results from the NMSU soil lab will be interpreted and shared with individuals interested in the optimum use of their soil and water resources. Specific management practices will be shared with individuals in the case of saline and / or sodium affected soils. General identification and management practices will be discussed throug presentations to Master Gardeners and community groups as well as growers and farmers.

Short-Term Objectives

100 percent of clientele will gain an awareness of the importance of soil testing for identifying saline and sodium affected soils before using the soil for plant growth, those who tested their soil. 10 percent of instructed clientele will indicate that they are motivated to submit soil samples for salinity assessment as a result of attending seminars or workshops.

Medium-Term Objectives

25 percent of clientele submitting sodium affected soil for NMSU lab analysis will report they followed amendment instructions or at the very least addressed the issue after receiving their interpretation. 25 percent of clientele submitting soils with saline properties to the NMSU soil testing laboratory will report that they followed suggested management practices provided on the interpretation form.

Long-Term Objectives

At least one workshop or seminar will be provided per year that will give clientele the tools needed to select plants and management practices for saline soils. Individuals will be able to select at least two plants that are suitable for their conditions. Clientele with identified sodium affected soils will have either demonstrated a decrease in soil sodium due to prescribed management practices or can demonstrate steps that were taken to avoid sodium affected soils.

Evaluation Plan

Short- and medium-term objectives will be monitored, in part, from the interpretation of soil test results submitted to the NMSU soil and water testing laboratory. STO #1 and #2 will be evaluated by giving participants a short survey to assess their likelihood to submit soil samples for salinity assessment. Medium-term objectives will be evaluated using a phone or mail survey to assess effectiveness of the recommendations. At least one case study will be utilized to track the effectiveness of management on saline and / or sodium affected soils and used as feedback for LTO #1. Long-term objective #2 will be accomplished if clientele submit soil samples after treatment. Others will be polled as to whether or not they avoided the sodium issue by selecting alternative sites to manage. Clientele participating in workshops of a professional nature will be evaluated for minimum competency in salinity and sodium issues through testing in course exams or through the certified crop adviser program.