ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - The South Dakota Corn Growers Association and Pheasants Forever have partnered and pledged $100,000 toward a soil health initiative.
Two unlikely partners have had differing views on land management practices, but the threat saline soils pose to the state’s landscape has provided a common ground, the Aberdeen American News reported.
“Saline soils is an area of concern for them and for us, so it was a logical place to start a partnership,” said Matt Morlock, acting director for Pheasants Forever in South Dakota.
Morlock said the effort will target more than 2 million acres across nearly 30 counties throughout the James and Missouri river valleys, as well Lyman, Jones and Stanley counties.
Lisa Richardson is the executive director of South Dakota Corn Growers Association. She called the partnership a win-win.
“The goal of the partnership is to minimize the impact of saline soils, but it’s a unique partnership that helps our soils and provides habitat for pheasants,” she said.
Richardson said the association has spent significant resources during the last decade on different research projects for soil health.
“This problem really came about because our water table came up, left the salt and then went back down,” said Richardson. “When that happens, some of the land becomes unproductive, so we had to figure out a way to bring it back in a sustainable manner.”
Saline soils are areas where an abundance of salt inhibits plant growth and productivity. The association estimates saline soils affect 7.6 million acres of farmland in the South Dakota with most found in the upper James River area.
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Information from: Aberdeen American News, http://www.aberdeennews.com
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