This article was written by UMN Extension crops educator Angie Peltier and NDSU Extension soil health specialist Naeem Kalwar. It is always a treat to look at crops in the fertile Red River Valley (RRV) during the growing season; wondering when they were planted, if they received a bit more/less rain than your own crops – endless speculation…… Something else you may notice in fields farmed by others or in your own fields are areas in which crops are either slow to emerge or never emerge at all (Figure 1). Figure 1. Saline and sodic soil in which only specific weed species can grow. Photo credit: Naeem Kalwar, NDSU Extension soil health specialist. Saline and sodic soils can both be found in the RRV and may be responsible, either individually or together, for some of this poor crop growth (Figure 2). Our high water tables and wind can also provide challenging conditions for crop growth and will also be discussed in greater detail here. Figure 2. This map highlights...
