With the right computer software and a few clicks of the mouse, farmers can discover the quality of their soil without stepping outside.

Thousands of soil surveys covering the entire state have been converted to a digital format that can be accessed over the Internet, thanks to a federal-state project that was recently completed.

Agriculture Commission-er Roger Johnson said the digital soil maps are a valuable tool for farmers because they are localized to the point that farmers can find differences in soil quality from one field to another on their farm.

"This is cutting-edge technology for producers to make planting and tillage decisions," Johnson said. "You can tailor what you are doing to the unique attributes of the land even though it may be only one field."

Soil surveys are inventories of soil resources of a specific area. The surveys include a soil map, descriptions of soils and soil map units and predictions of soil behavior for different uses and management.

Johnson said farmers can use the digitized soil surveys to help them determine which fields should be left for grazing and which fields should be tilled for crops.

The mapping project was a cooperative effort by the Natural Resources Conser-vation Service, which is a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture, the North Dakota Geological Survey and the North Dakota Agriculture Depart-ment.

Paul Benedict, state soil scientist for the NRCS, said the project was completed about four years ahead of schedule with a savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The NRCS received an $800,000 grant from the EPA for the project, but only $500,000 of it was used, Benedict said.

The surveys can be viewed online at soildatamart.-nrcs.usda.gov. Printed surveys still will be available through county NRCS offices.

(Reach reporter Tom Rafferty at 223-8482 or tom.rafferty@bismarcktribune.com.)