University of Arizona bridges gap with new Yuma Soil Health Lab
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A new University of Arizona soil health laboratory in Yuma is bringing agricultural research closer to the farmers and growers who rely on it, while helping address some of the region’s most pressing soil and water challenges.
The Desert Agriculture Soil Health Initiative (DASHI) launched in 2023 under the direction of University of Arizona Associate Professor Dr. Joey Blankinship.
The initiative recently established a physical soil health lab at the University of Arizona Yuma Agricultural Center.
For years, much of the university’s agricultural research infrastructure was concentrated in Tucson, about three and a half hours from Yuma.
Researchers say that distance made it more difficult to capture differences in soil conditions across the region and monitor how those conditions change over time.
Blankinship says growers in the Desert Southwest are looking for more information about their soil and practical ways to manage it in a water-limited environment.
“Growers in the Desert Southwest are craving more knowledge about soil health and how to manage soil health,” Blankinship said. “They want to know about the status of current conditions, their baseline conditions…and the most effective practices for managing under these water-limited conditions.”
Addressing soil challenges in the desertThe lab is focused on both immediate and long-term threats to soil health.
One of the biggest short-term concerns is salinity. During the summer, growers may use additional water to leach salts below the root zone.
Researchers are studying how those practices affect soil conditions and plant health.
Long-term concerns include low levels of soil organic matter. In the region’s hot, irrigated soils, organic material can break down quickly, making it difficult to build and maintain healthy soil.
Researchers are testing several strategies, including commercial chemical amendments, gypsum, rotational spring and summer crops and deep-rooting systems.
These approaches are designed to help stabilize organic matter and remove excess salts from the soil.
Blankinship compares the work to routine medical checkups.
“Just like when you go to the doctor and they measure your blood pressure or your weight,” Blankinship said. “These are routine measurements that are really standard for measuring soil health in these regions.”
Bringing research closer to growersThe Yuma Soil Health Lab operates through partnerships with growers and other regional stakeholders rather than as a traditional fee-for-service laboratory.
That model allows researchers to work directly with the agricultural community and respond to changing conditions, including tighter water allocations and fluctuating fertilizer costs.
Research technician Josett Clark is helping lead that local outreach.
Clark joined the Yuma Soil Health Lab after graduating in May with a degree in Agricultural Systems Management from the University of Arizona Yuma.
She conducts fieldwork throughout the region, including in Yuma and the Wellton-Mohawk area.
Her work includes measuring soil pH, sodium levels and plant-available nutrients.
“Dr. Joey Blankinship has a lot of partnerships with the growers and stakeholders here in Yuma,” Clark said. “So, it is my job to communicate more closely with them and then go out to their fields and sample.”
As the lab continues expanding its research capabilities and building partnerships, DASHI hopes to provide growers with faster, more localized information about the condition of their soil.
The goal is to give farmers practical tools to manage salinity, alkalinity and other soil constraints while maintaining productivity in one of the nation’s most productive, and water-limited, agricultural regions.
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