A spectrum of land managers and others rely on CALES' science-backed information to inform decisions. This new U of A Cooperative Extension publication can help them decide which dryland restoration methods make the most financial sense.

As land managers across the Southwest deal with changing landscapes, a new report from University of Arizona Cooperative Extension provides a guide to the cost of manual dryland restoration.

The publication, co-authored by Elise S. Gornish of Extension; U of A graduate student Laura C. Shriver; and Ri N. Corwin, Catherine A. Gehring and Caroline A. Havrilla of Northern Arizona University, analyzes per-acre costs and labor demands across five key restoration treatments.

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"Costs for different restoration approaches can vary by an order of magnitude, and to really consider what approach is best for your budget, you need to have a good idea of all costs associated with an approach," Gornish said.

While ecological restoration is vital for soil health and vegetation recovery, the researchers found that manual application costs vary dramatically depending on labor intensity and raw materials:

• Standard broadcast seeding: Averages $6,494 per acre, driven by $4,600 in native seed costs and 125 hours per acre of manual labor. Mechanized drill or aerial seeding can reduce labor costs.
• Seedballs: Reaches $16,534 per acre, requiring 725 labor hours to construct and deploy seed-clay pellets using a bicycle-powered pelletizer. Drone deployment and cheaper binder materials offer substantial savings.
• Soil pitting: Costs $13,890 per acre when dug manually with hand tools, taking 600 hours per acre to dig water-harvesting depressions. Using tractor-drawn pitting attachments slashes labor demands significantly.
• Soil inoculation: Demands $12,522 per acre when collecting and spreading healthy local soil by hand, requiring 810 labor hours to introduce beneficial soil microbes. Commercial inoculants or mechanical spreaders reduce field labor.
• Targeted grazing: Represents the most economical option at $661 per acre using cattle in controlled enclosures to manage vegetation and forage.

By highlighting mechanical alternatives such as tractor attachments, aerial seeding, and drone dispersal, the analysis equips land managers to design financially feasible, large-scale dryland restoration projects.

"Cost is one of the most important drivers for land management decision-making," Gornish said. "This paper clarifies some of the less clear cost components associated with typical management approaches. It gives land managers more refined information for decision making – which directly furthers the mission of Extension."

For more information, read the publication on the Cooperative Extension website.