One of the main challenges of irrigating crops is that available water sources contain salt. Over time, repeated waterings from these sources lead to salt accumulation, damaging soil fertility. This issue is especially acute in the arid and semi-arid regions found in much of the western United States.
To address the issue, the Agricultural Research Service’s Agricultural Water Efficiency and Salinity (AWES) Research Unit in Riverside, California are using remote sensing and precision technology to aid growers in arid regions. They are beginning to apply the techniques of digital and precision agriculture to help growers provide their crops with the water they need without harming them, or the soil, in the process.
One approach is to develop crops with a higher salt tolerance, including working to understand that trait at a genetic level. Researchers have also leveraged remote sensing data from satellites to inform their picture of salinity levels in fields. They have used remote sensing data from satellites to inform their picture of salinity levels in fields.
