Project Number: 5310-61000-012-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Dec 08, 2001
End Date: Dec 07, 2006

Objective:
Develop capability to represent B, Mo, Se and As adsorption-desorption in soils. Develop generalized predictive equations and a model to represent these processes and transport in irrigated arid land soils. Develop management strategies for use of low quality waters with high B and reclamation strategies for high B soils. Develop a precision agriculture technology for irrigated arid-zone soils that includes measurement of spatio-temporal changes in soil salinity and other soil properties, that impact crop yield. Develop tools for evaluating salinity including sampling methodology.

Approach:
Laboratory experiments will be conducted to establish generalized predictive equations for anion adsorption-desorption reactions. Laboratory column experiments will be conducted to evaluate the predictive capability of the transport model to describe anion movement. Additional sampling will be undertaken in ongoing field projects in the Central Valley, CA to enable field evaluation of predictive capability of the model for B transport. Conduct laboratory experiments to improve prediction of the effect of solution composition on hydraulic conductivity. Utilize advanced information technologies including GIS, GPS, spatial statistics and EM in combination with soil and plant analysis to develop the relationship between 1) spectral imagery of crops and spatial distributions of salinity and 2) crop yield and soil properties at field scales and larger. Development of design protocol for salinity sampling and mapping at the district or basin scale.