Author
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Kitchen, Newell |
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Sudduth, Kenneth - Ken |
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Submitted to: National Conservation Tillage Cotton and Rice Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2001 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: With the advent of site-specific management, interest has intensified to cost-effectively measure and map soil characteristics. Bulk soil electrical conductivity (EC) is one of the simplest and least expensive soil measurements available to precision farmers today. Soil EC is the ability of the soil to transmit an electrical current. It is a measurement tthat integrates many different soil properties that may affect crop growth including soil water content, soil texture, soil organic matter, depth to claypan, cation exchange capacity, salinity, and base cations. Soil EC techniques using electromagnetic induction and rolling contact electrodes will be reviewed and compared. The patterns of soil EC within a field do not tend to change significantly over time unless significant soil movement has occurred. Ideally, soil samples to a depth of 90 to 120 cm should be taken at the time of an EC field survey at 12 to 20 different locations and dcharacterized to assess those predominant soil properties impacting soil E for that specific field. Soil EC has been used to delineate sub-field management zones and field tested for variable-rate management (e.g., nitrogen, seeding). Examples giving research findings for how soil EC has been used for precision farming management will be presented. |
