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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #131240
Title: SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF SURFACE SOIL WATER UNDER A CORNFIELD

Author
item Fisher, Jackson
item Timlin, Dennis
item Pachepsky, Yakov
item Dulaney, Wayne
item Walthall, Charles

Submitted to: Remote Sensing and Modeling Applications for Natural Resource Management
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/12/2002
Publication Date: 3/13/2002
Citation: Fisher, J.K., Timlin, D.J., Pachepsky, Y.A., Dulaney, W.P., Walthall, C.L. 2002. Spatial distribution of surface soil water under a cornfield. Remote Sensing and Modeling Applications for Natural Resource Management.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A study investigating the relationship between the spatial distribution of corn yield and the distribution of surface soil moisture was conducted during the 2000 growing season in Beltsville, Md. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship among sampling densities and the spatial correlation of yield and surface soil moisture. To accomplish this task, four 25m 2 plots were set up with approximately 100 soil moisture sampling points within each plot. Each plot was sampled approximately seven times during the growing season using a Delta-T ML1 capacitance probe. The results of the study found that, at high sampling densities (greater than 75 samples per plot), a strong spatial correlation existed between the observed yield measurements and the total change of water content throughout the growing season. At low sampling densities (greater than 25 samples per plot), this relationship does not exhibit high spatial correlation. The spatial relationship between yield and water content was not as strong for water contents at individual sampling dates throughout the growing season. In the 2000 growing season, rainfall was above average and lower yields were associated with small changes in water content. This suggested that drainage limited yield. Further studies are planned investigating the predictive qualities of yield data for the spatial distribution of soil moisture.