Using electro-magnetic induction technology to identify sampling sites for soil acidity assessment and to determine spatial variability of soil acidity in rice fields

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 208 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. W. Dunn ◽  
H. G. Beecher
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Magnetic Induction ◽  
Soil Acidity ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Soil Sampling ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Sampling Protocols ◽  
Electro Magnetic

Irrigated agriculture has contributed to increasing topsoil acidity, which in turn can increase acidification of the subsoil. Lime is typically applied at a uniform rate to raise the pH of the soil, with no accounting for the variation in soil acidity that may exist within a field. Current commercial sampling protocols use surface soil composites taken across the whole field or in parts of fields where visual soil differences are apparent. Current liming recommendations may not account for in-field soil pH spatial variability, especially if the variability is not related to visual differences. Three studies were undertaken over 10 fields, to investigate the potential of using electro-magnetic induction instruments (Geonics EM38 and EM31) to target soil sampling in order to identify differences in soil acidity within flood-irrigated fields in southern New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Within individual fields, large differences in surface soil acidity were identified and a strong relationship (r2 = 0.49 to 0.91) between the soil’s apparent electrical conductivity and soil pH was found. It is proposed that fields from southern NSW that have grown rice, be divided into zones to soil sample for acidity assessment, based on EM instrument readings. Proposed ECa levels for the delineation of zones are <80, 80–140 and >140 mS/m for EM31v and <80, 80–110 and >110 mS/m for EM38v. Many rice growers in southern NSW currently have EM maps of their fields. Using these maps to target soil sampling for soil acidity would be a more cost-effective method of determining the spatial variability of soil acidity in a field than grid sampling. Knowledge of the variability of soil acidity within the field would potentially allow the application of appropriate lime rates, relative to soil pH and cation exchange capacity to all parts of the field. This knowledge could make the variable application of lime a cost effective approach, compared with whole field management approaches.

Effect of soil acidity on barley production in the south-west of Western Australia. 2. Cereal genotypes and their response to lime

1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 811 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJ Dolling ◽  
WM Porter ◽  
AD Robson
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Soil Acidity ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Barley Grain ◽  
Al Toxicity ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
Lime Application ◽  
Barley Genotypes ◽  
Extractable Al

The effect of aluminium (Al) toxicity of either surface or subsurface soil on the growth of barley, and the potential for variation in response to soil acidity among agronomically adapted Australian barley genotypes, were examined at 13 sites. The effect of Al toxicity was investigated by plant analysis, using 3-5 lime application rates and Al-tolerant species (wheat, triticale), as well as barley. All cereals were supplied with complete nutrients. To measure the potential for response variation, grain yields of 14 genotypes of barley, relative to cv. Stirling, were related to soil pH at 7 sites. Grain yield of barley was increased 9-30% at 6 sites, by lime application alleviating A1 toxicity. The yield of triticale and wheat cv. Aroona was not increased by lime application at any site. There was some indication that subsurface acidity may be reducing the grain yield of barley at sites with CaCl2-extractable Al concentrations of 23-4 mg/g in the A2 horizon. Some barley genotypes appeared to be more tolerant than Stirling to soil acidity. Aluminium toxicity appears to be reducing barley grain yields by more than 10% at surface soil pH <4.5 (0.01 mol CaCl2/L), or when CaCl2-extractable Al is >3-4 mg/g. CaCl2-extractable A1 in the surface soil was not a better indicator of Al toxicity than soil pH.

scholarly journals Spatial prediction of soil acidity and nutrients for site-specific soil management in Bedele district, Southwestern Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gedefa Sori ◽  
Birhanu Iticha ◽  
Chalsissa Takele
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Soil Acidity ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Spatial Prediction ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Southwestern Ethiopia ◽  
Strong Acidity

Abstract Background Understanding the spatial variability of soil properties is useful to tailor site-specific agricultural inputs to enhance crop production on a sustainable basis. This study was aimed to assess and map the spatial patterns of soil acidity and nutrients using geostatistical methods and support site-specific lime and fertilizer recommendations in Bedele district, Southwestern Ethiopia. Methods Soil samples were collected from agricultural land at a depth of 20 cm using grid sampling technique. The semivariogram analysis was performed for accurate spatial prediction and the kriging technique was used for interpolation of soil parameters. Results Soil pH varied between 4.5 and 6.8. Soil organic carbon (OC) content ranged from 0.3 to 5.6% and the mean soil OC density was 0.81 kg m−2. Available phosphorus (AvP) ranged from 0.8 to 38.6 mg kg−1 and nearly 80.23% of the soils exhibited very low to low AvP that could be due to fixation by strong acidity. Soils of the study area exhibited very high exchangeable potassium (K), but very low exchangeable calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). The potassium to magnesium ratio (K:Mg) ranged from 0.2:1 to 10.9:1, while the values of calcium to magnesium ratio (Ca:Mg) varied between 0.3 and 3.4. Among the soil parameters, exchangeable Ca (CV = 54%) and K:Mg ratio (CV = 57.62%) were more variable than other soil parameters. Spatial variability was lowest for soil pH (CV = 10%). Conclusions Major portions of the study site were affected by strong acidity (pH ≤ 5.5). Accordingly, about 89% of the soils require lime that varied between 0.09 and 3.6 tons ha−1. In addition to soil acidity, deficiency of available P, Ca, and Mg were the major liming factors affecting crop production in the study area. Digital soil mapping was used to show the spatial variability of soil acidity and nutrients across agricultural land and applied for efficient lime and nutrients advisory works.

scholarly journals Slow movement of alkali from surface-applied lime warrants the introduction of strategic tillage for rapid amelioration of subsurface acidity in south-western Australia

Soil Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Azam ◽  
C. Gazey
Keyword(s):  
Soil Ph ◽  
Soil Acidity ◽  
Soil Column ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Vertical Movement ◽  
Deep Tillage ◽  
Subsurface Soil ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
Series Of Experiments

Conventional surface-application of agricultural lime takes many years to increase pH deeper in the soil profile, which is a barrier to increased adoption of liming. We conducted a series of experiments to measure the rate of vertical movement of alkali and identify the factors that determine this movement into the subsurface, to evaluate the feasibility of ameliorating acidic subsurface soil using residual (undissolved) lime (CaCO3) at Wongan Hills (30.85°S, 116.74°E) and Merredin (31.48°S, 118.21°E) and to test whether deep tillage and lime incorporation can significantly speed up the amelioration of subsurface soil acidity at Kalannie (30.42°S, 117.29°E). Multiple applications of lime to the surface of the soil at higher rates (total 6–8.5 Mg ha–1) significantly increased subsurface soil pH but only in the 0.10–0.20 m depth by 0.049 pH units per year over 10–24 years. A large proportion of the surface-applied lime was stratified in the top few centimetres of the soil and incorporation of this undissolved lime with a rotary hoe to a depth of 0.25 m significantly increased soil pH (by 0.63 units) within a year in the Wongan Hills field experiment. Deep incorporation of 6 Mg ha–1 lime to a depth of 0.45 m through excavation and spading with a small rotary hoe also increased soil pH by more than a unit and decreased Al concentration to below the toxic level within two months in the Kalannie experiment, allowing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants to produce root systems up to 0.59 m deep compared with 0.26 m for the control. Our soil column leaching experiment indicated that surface incorporation of lime in higher rainfall regions can be useful to treat subsurface soil acidity but that the rate of improvement in subsurface pH was slow. Therefore, deeper incorporation of lime using cost-effective strategic deep tillage is likely to be necessary.

Deep Controlled Source Electro-Magnetic Sensing: A Cost Effective, Long-Term Tool for Sequestration Monitoring

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas LaBrecque ◽  
◽  
Russell D. Brigham ◽  
Conny Schmidt-Hattenburger ◽  
Evan Um ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Magnetic Sensing ◽  
Controlled Source ◽  
Electro Magnetic

EFFECTS OF SOIL ACIDITY ON RHIZOBIA NUMBERS, NODULATION AND NITROGEN FIXATION BY ALFALFA AND RED CLOVER

1977 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. A. RICE ◽  
D. C. PENNEY ◽  
M. NYBORG
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Soil Acidity ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Rhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Acid Soils ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Ion Concentration ◽  
Hydrogen Ion Concentration ◽  
Greenhouse Experiments

The effects of soil acidity on nitrogen fixation by alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) were investigated in field experiments at 28 locations, and in greenhouse experiments using soils from these locations. The pH of the soils (limed and unlimed) varied from 4.5 to 7.2. Rhizobia populations in the soil, nodulation, and relative forage yields (yield without N/yield with N) were measured in both the field and greenhouse experiments. Rhizobium meliloti numbers, nodulation scores, and relative yields of alfalfa decreased sharply as the pH of the soils decreased below 6.0. For soils with pH 6.0 or greater, there was very little effect of pH on any of the above factors for alfalfa. Soil pH in the range studied had no effect on nodulation scores and relative yields of red clover. However, R. trifolii numbers were reduced when the pH of the soil was less than 4.9. These results demonstrate that hydrogen ion concentration is an important factor limiting alfalfa growth on acid soils of Alberta and northeastern British Columbia, but it is less important for red clover. This supports the continued use of measurements of soil pH, as well as plant-available Al and Mn for predicting crop response to lime.

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE SOIL ACIDITY PROBLEM IN ALBERTA AND NORTHEASTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA

1977 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. PENNEY ◽  
M. NYBORG ◽  
P. B. HOYT ◽  
W. A. RICE ◽  
B. SIEMENS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Soil Acidity ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Acid Soil ◽  
Acid Soils ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Hordeum Vulgare L ◽  
Crop Species

The amount of cultivated acid soil in Alberta and northeastern British Columbia was estimated from pH values of farm samples analyzed by the Alberta Soil Testing Laboratory, and the effect of soil acidity on crops was assessed from field experiments on 28 typical acid soils. The field experiments consisted of two cultivars of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and one cultivar each of rapeseed (Brassica campestris L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) grown with and without lime for 2 yr. There are about 30,000 ha of soils with a pH of 5.0 or less where soil acidity seriously restricts yields of all four crop species. There are approximately 300,000 ha with a soil pH of 5.1–5.5 where liming will on the average increase yields of alfalfa by 100%, yields of barley by 10–15%, and yields of rapeseed and red clover by 5–10%. There are a further 1,600,000 ha where soil pH ranges from 5.6 to 6.0 and liming will increase yields of alfalfa by approximately 50% and yields of barley, rapeseed and red clover by at least 4–5%.

Soil acidity in 1970 and 1989 in a coniferous forest in southwest Finland

1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 477-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Westman ◽  
S. Jauhiainen
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Soil Acidity ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Soil Layers ◽  
Water Suspension ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Humus Layer ◽  
Repeated Sampling

Forest soil pH in southwest Finland was measured with identical sampling and analysing methods in 1970 and 1989. The acidity of the organic humus layer increased significantly as pH values measured on water and on salt suspensions decreased between the two sampling dates. For the mineral soil layers, no unambiguous trend was found. pH values measured on salt suspension tended to be unchanged or lower, while pH on water suspension in some soil layers were even higher in 1989 than in 1970. Key words: pH, repeated sampling

scholarly journals Spatial variability and mapping of soil fertility status in a high-potential smallholder farming area under sub-humid conditions in Zimbabwe

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Soropa ◽  
Olton M. Mbisva ◽  
Justice Nyamangara ◽  
Ermson Z. Nyakatawa ◽  
Newton Nyapwere ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Strong Evidence ◽  
Spatial Dependence ◽  
Random Component ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Spatial Trend ◽  
Spatial Trends

AbstractA study was conducted to examine spatial variability of soil properties related to fertility in maize fields across varying soil types in ward 10 of Hurungwe district, Zimbabwe; a smallholder farming area with sub-humid conditions and high yield potential. Purposively collected and geo-referenced soil samples were analyzed for texture, pH, soil organic carbon (OC), mineral N, bicarbonate P, and exchangeable K. Linear mixed model was used to analyze spatial variation of the data. The model allowed prediction of soil properties at unsampled sites by the empirical best linear unbiased predictor (EBLUP). Evidence for spatial dependence in the random component of the model was evaluated by calculating Akaike’s information criterion. Soil pH ranged from 4.0 to 6.9 and showed a strong spatial trend increasing from north to south, strong evidence for a difference between the home and outfields with homefields significantly higher and between soil textural classes with the sand clay loam fraction generally higher. Soil OC ranged from 0.2 to 2.02% and showed no spatial trend, but there was strong evidence for a difference between home and outfields, with mean soil OC in homefields significantly larger, and between soil textural classes, with soil OC largest in the sandy clay loams. Both soil pH and OC showed evidence for spatial dependence in the random effect, providing a basis for spatial prediction by the EBLUP, which was presented as a map. There were significant spatial trends in mineral N, available P and exchangeable K, all increasing from north to south; significant differences between homefields and outfields (larger concentrations in homefields), and differences between the soil textural classes with larger concentrations in the sandy clay loams. However, there was no evidence for spatial dependence in the random component, so no attempt was made to map these variables. These results show how management (home fields vs outfields), basic soil properties (texture) and other factors emerging as spatial trends influence key soil properties that determine soil fertility in these conditions. This implies that the best management practices may vary spatially, and that site-specific management is a desirable goal in conditions such as those which apply in Ward 10 of Hurungwe district in Zimbabwe.

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