Soil Structure, Water Movement, and Salinity: Establishing Soil Health Baselines Across Yuma Valley Crop Rotations

The Yuma Valley produces most of the nation's winter vegetables, yet farmers here have identified the physical condition of their soil as one of their most pressing concerns. When soil loses its crumbly, wellaggregated structure, irrigation water no longer soaks in evenly, salts build near the surface, and crops suffer. Even though soil structure shapes nearly every other measure of soil health, no study in Yuma has directly measured it, explained what builds or destroys it, or connected it to how quickly water moves through the soil and how salt behaves.