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ARS Home Plains Area Sidney, Montana Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory Agricultural Systems Research ASRU Docs







Spatial and Temporal Variations of Soil Electrical Conductivity and Penetration Resistance  Research Findings, Reports, and Publications for thisProjectElectrical conductivity (EC) is a measure of the ability of soil to conduct electrical current that is expressed in milliSiemens or deciSiemens per meter. Mapping EC across a field provides spatially integrated depictions of a variety of soil characteristics that are highly correlated to crop productivity. Soil properties that affect EC include: soil particle size distribution, soil organic matter, soil nutrient levels, soil compaction, soil drainage, CEC, soil water holding capacity, and soil salinity. Research is needed to be able to identify and separate these into the most critical factors that can be managed in each area within a field.  As a way to assess of soil variability, we are mapping soil EC in our research plots and cooperator's fields using both a Veris 3000 profiler (point measurement of penetration resistance and EC) and a Veris 3100 (continuous strip measurements of EC with depth) under irrigated soil conditions. Differential GPS technologies are used to geo-reference all data points which are then used to develop maps with a GIS. These maps can be very helpful in explaining crop yield variability and used as tools for precision farming.  Our long term research goals are to determine spatial and temporal variations of EC and soil compaction; identify field soil variability by creating soil EC and compaction maps and relate them to crop yield variability, We also want to use these data to develop functional relationships between soil properties (e.g., texture, aggregate stability, organic matter, bulk density, infiltration rates, and soil water holding capacity, and water content) that can be used in modeling these complex systems.  **Photographs of both the Veris 3000 Profiler and the Veris 3100 which is used to determine soil spatial variability.**  **Contributing Scientists: JayJabro** (Soil Scientist), **James Kim**(Post Doc Research Associate) and **RobertEvans** (Agricultural Engineer), Bart Stevens (Agronomist), and BillIversen (Physical Scientist) Latest Research Findings/ReportsSpatial Variability of Apparent Electrical Conductivity and Cone Index as Measured with Sensing Technologies: Assessment and Comparison.Spatial Variability of Apparent Electrical Conductivity and Cone Index as Measured with Sensing Technologies: Assessment and Comparison****By: Jay Jabro, Robert Evans, Yunseop Kim, Bart Stevens, & William Iversen Download this Poster (PDF: 1.2 MB)Assessment and interpretation of spatial variability of soil physical and chemical characteristics are very important for precision farming. Because of this, farmers need new, quick, reliable and inexpensive sensing technology to measure soil properties such as soil compaction and apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) that characterize soil variability in their fields.


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