1. Test soil for electrical conductance (EC).
Salt raises the EC.
2. Make a site-specific management plan.
Test for EC in zones radiating out from the bull's-eye of the problem area, where the soil is crusted with white. Plant species of crops or forages with the salt tolerance to adapt to various zones. Choosing deep-rooted species will help to manage soil water.
3. Plant salt-tolerant perennial grasses in the bull's-eye.
In areas where the EC tests 8 or higher, try planting for hay or forage species such as tall wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, beardless wild rye, NewHy hybrid wheatgrass, or Garrison creeping foxtail.
4. Choose salt-tolerant crops.
In the zone radiating out from the bull's-eye (where the soil EC tests more than 2), plant salt-tolerant cash crops such as barley, sunflowers, or canola.
5. Plant a salt-tolerant cover crop.
The beauty of planting barley in relatively high-saline areas is that its late-July or early-August harvest affords a window of opportunity for planting a salt-tolerant cover crop. During the months of August, September, and October, the cover crop uses soil moisture that would otherwise evaporate and accumulate more salts on the surface.
One option is a per-acre cover crop mix of 25 pounds of barley, 5 pounds of sunflowers, and 2 pounds of sugar beets.
6. Plant salt-tolerant alfalfa.
Reclamation of saline areas can take five to 10 years, with periodic monitoring and management modifications needed to minimize salts in the soil.