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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Soil Dynamics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #114141
Title: PREDICTING SOIL COMPACTION AND SOIL MOISTURE WITH SOIL EC

Author
item Raper, Randy
item SCHUMACHER, T - S DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
item MALO, D - S DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
item Reeves, Donald
item MOTTA, A - AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy Meetings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2000
Publication Date: 11/5/2000
Citation: Raper, R.L., Schumacher, T.E., Malo, D.D., Reeves, D.W., Motta, A. 2000. Predicting soil compaction and soil moisture with soil ec. American Society of Agronomy 2000 Meetings.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Based on the similarity between site-specific maps of crop yield and electrical conductivity (EC), it may be possible to use EC measurements as a method of predicting zones of high and low productivity. Site- specific measurements of soil strength and soil moisture have also been obtained which show a great amount of field variability and a certain amount of similarity to site-specific yield and EC maps. Two avenues of research are being simultaneously conducted to determine if a potential correlation between EC and soil strength and/or soil moisture exists. The first approach involves using uniform soil conditions in controlled soil bin facilities to determine effects of soil type, soil moisture, and soil strength on EC measurements. The second research approach involves evaluating the spatial relationship between site-specific field measurements of EC and site-specific measurements of soil moisture and soil strength in two fields with distinctly different soil types. Results from these experiments should enable EC to be evaluated as a potential method of measuring relatively different levels of soil strength and/or soil moisture.