Salinity is a growing problem on farmland in many parts of the western U.S., ranging from the Dakotas to the arid Southwest. The increase in salinity in these regions is adversely affecting crop productivity and in some cases making portions of fields unprofitable or unfarmable.

The year 2011 proved to be very challenging for farmers across the country due to extremes in weather.

Several regions of the country experienced historic droughts and many farmers struggled to keep crops alive, while others faced the extreme opposite of prolonged periods of rain and flooding that resulted in extremely wet soil conditions that delayed or prevented spring plantings.