Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #228953
Title: Sensor-based mapping of soil quality on degraded claypan landscapes of the central United States

Author
item Kitchen, Newell
item Sudduth, Kenneth - Ken
item Kremer, Robert
item MYERS, D - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/25/2009
Publication Date: 8/5/2010
Citation: Kitchen, N.R., Sudduth, K.A., Kremer, R.J., Myers, D.B. 2010. Sensor-based mapping of soil quality on degraded claypan landscapes of the central United States. In: Viscarra Rossel, R. A., McBratney, Alex B., and Minasny, B. Proximal Soil Sensing, Volume 1. New York: Springer. p. 363-373.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Claypan soils (Epiaqualfs) in the central USA have experienced severe erosion as a result of tillage practices of the late 1800s and 1900s. Because of the site-specific nature of erosion processes within claypan fields, research is needed to achieve cost-effective sensing and mapping of soil and landscape properties that quantify the soil’s current ability to produce crops and provide ecosystem services- the concepts of soil quality. In this research ECa sensors, aerial imagery, yield mapping, and a horizontally-operated penetrometer were used for high resolution mapping of soil quality indicators on a 36-ha claypan soil field in Missouri. Field areas experiencing the most erosion now have reduced grain production, lower plant available water capacity (PAWC), and slower infiltration. These same areas have higher soil penetration resistance (at 30 cm), yet greater sub-soil nutrients. The conclusion of this synthesis is that combining sensor-based information provides a much clearer picture of spatially-important characteristics of claypan soil quality, and can be used by land managers to target remediation of degraded soils and implement precision conservation practices.