Soil Health · September 2025 · 5 min read
Saline soils are an expanding problem across the Northern Great Plains and other regions with shallow water tables. Visible white salt crusts on the soil surface are the most obvious sign, but yield loss often begins before salts are visible. Testing and targeted management can reclaim affected areas over time.
Soil salinity is measured by electrical conductivity (EC) of a saturated paste extract. Soils with EC above 4 dS/m are classified as saline and will reduce yields for most crops. Many common crops show stress at EC levels as low as 2 dS/m.
Planting salt-tolerant crops on affected areas maintains productivity while remediation takes place. Barley is the most salt-tolerant common grain crop, followed by sunflower and wheat. For forages, tall wheatgrass and alkali sacaton tolerate EC levels above 10 dS/m.
Avoid leaving saline areas fallow, as bare soil allows the water table to rise further and worsen the salt problem.
Improving subsurface drainage through tile installation helps lower the water table and flush salts below the root zone. Cover crops with deep root systems, particularly cereal rye and radishes, improve soil structure and increase water infiltration. Living roots draw down the water table through transpiration, reducing salt accumulation at the surface.
Remediation is a multi-year process—expect gradual improvement rather than quick fixes.
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