Rapid assessment of soil compaction damage I. The SOILpak score, a semi-quantitative measure of soil structural form

Soil Research ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 117 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Quantitative Measure ◽  
Visual Assessment ◽  
Land Evaluation ◽  
Structural Form ◽  
Cotton Industry ◽  
Land Survey ◽  
Australian Soil

Agricultural land evaluation is hampered by inadequate procedures for assessing the severity of soil compaction. Therefore, the ‘SOILpak scoring procedure’ has been developed within the Australian cotton industry to allow semi-quantitative assessment of soil structural form. It allows compaction severity in Vertisols to be separated into as many as 20 categories on a scale of 0.0 (severely compacted) to 2.0 (excellent structure for root growth). The procedure is based upon visual assessment of soil samples in the field as they are pulled apart by hand. The SOILpak scoring system is well accepted by advisory staff because of its speed and simplicity. However, there have been some problems with operator bias, and an inability to deal with continuity of vertical macropores, degree of encroachment of under-furrow compaction into the ridges where cotton is planted, and the presence of thin smeared layers. This paper presents a modified SOILpak scoring procedure that addresses these problems. Also, the SOILpak scoring procedure has been integrated with terminology in the ‘Australian Soil and Land Survey Field Handbooks’ so that it can be used by soil surveyors in other areas.

scholarly journals Spatial Distribution and Evaluation of Arsenic and Zinc Content in the Soil of a Karst Landscape

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6976
Author(s):  
Dimitrios E. Alexakis ◽  
George D. Bathrellos ◽  
Hariklia D. Skilodimou ◽  
Dimitra E. Gamvroula
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Urban Soil ◽  
Agricultural Soil ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Land Evaluation ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
North West ◽  
Total Study Area

Karst features such as polje are highly vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic pollution. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the soil quality in the Ioannina polje (north-west Greece) concerning arsenic (As) and zinc (Zn), and delineate their origin as well as compare the As and Zn content in soil with criteria recorded in the literature. For this purpose, the geomorphological settings, the land use, and the soil physicochemical properties were mapped and evaluated, including soil texture and concentrations of aqua-regia extractable As and Zn. The concentration of elements was spatially correlated with the land use and the geology of the study area, while screening values were applied to assess land suitability. The results reveal that 72% of the total study area has a very gentle slope. This relief favors urban and agricultural activity. Thus, the urban and agricultural land used cover 92% of the total area. The spatial distribution for As and Zn in the soil of the study area is located on very gentle slopes and is strongly correlated with the geological parent materials and human-induced contamination sources. Arsenic and Zn can be considered enriched in the soil of the area studied. The median topsoil contents (in mg kg−1) for As (agricultural soil 16.0; urban soil 17.8) and Zn (agricultural soil 92.0; urban soil 95.0) are higher compared to the corresponding median values of European topsoils. Land evaluation suitability concerning criteria given from the literature is discussed. The proposed work may be helpful in the project of land use planning and the protection of the natural environment.

The pugometer: an evaluation of a new tool for assessing treading damage of pasture soils and comparisons with other methods

Soil Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 568
Author(s):  
J. A. Howes ◽  
J. A. Hanly ◽  
D. J. Horne ◽  
M. J. Hedley ◽  
M. Irwin
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Measure ◽  
Visual Assessment ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Strong Correlations ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Roller Chain ◽  
Visual Scoring ◽  
Soil Physical Quality ◽  
Small Plot

Treading damage inflicted by grazing animals degrades soil physical quality, increases sediment and nutrient loss to water, and reduces pasture yield. The extent or severity of treading damage can be assessed using several methods such as roller chain, depth of pug, and visual scoring. However, the ability of these methods to assess treading damage, and their relative merits, have not previously been compared. Four methods of measuring treading damage are compared in this study including the three methods mentioned and a new tool called the pugometer, which was developed to measure treading damage in a spatially explicit manner. These comparisons were conducted on three paddocks at Massey University’s Dairy 4 farm near Palmerston North, Manawatu, New Zealand which had sustained treading damage of varying levels during grazing in wet conditions. All four methods were able to identify varying degrees of treading damage competently with strong correlations between them (R2 = 0.72–0.87). Therefore, the selection of the most appropriate method to assess treading damage will depend on the circumstances. Visual scoring was the quickest and simplest method to use over a large area, and so could be employed easily by a farmer. The pugometer provides a quantitative measure of the spatial variability of treading damage and so would be a useful research tool. The depth of pug and roller chain methods are reliable but much more time consuming and therefore are only practicable as research tools for small plot studies. Following a treading event, the pugometer was able to monitor the recovery of surface roughness in a spatially explicit and rapid manner. Additional keywords: depth of pug, quantifying pugging, roller chain, visual assessment.

scholarly journals Utilization of Agricultural Land in the Russian Federation

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 75-80
Author(s):  
Sergey Volkov ◽  
Vladimir Kosinsky
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Environmental Safety ◽  
Topographic Survey ◽  
Land Survey ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Accelerated Growth ◽  
Land Inventory

This article reviews the initiatives for setting up rational use and protection of agricultural lands in order to ensure accelerated growth of the agricultural sector of the Russian Federation, enhancing its sustainability, efficiency, competitiveness, and environmental safety. It is hereby proposed to complete the differentiation of public lands into federal property, property of the subjects of the Russian Federation, property of municipal settlements; as well as to conduct topographic survey of lands in the Russian Federation (to establish and locally document the boundaries of territories of the subjects of the Russian Federation; municipal settlements; communities; special-purpose lands; areas with special land use conditions; and to systematically (once every 5 years) perform agricultural land inventory in order to identify unused, irrationally used or non-purposely used lands, as well as land use in violation of the relevant permitted use of land plots; to relaunch land survey works relating with the performance of pedagogic, geobotanical and other studies and research.

Application of Fuzzy Logic for Mapping the Agro-Ecological Zones

2015 ◽  
pp. 351-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bistok Hasiholan Simanjuntak ◽  
Sri Yulianto Joko Prasetyo ◽  
Kristoko Dwi Hartomo ◽  
Hindriyanto Dwi Purnomo
Keyword(s):  
Fuzzy Logic ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Land Evaluation ◽  
Ecological Zone ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
The Ideal

The mapping of agro-ecological zone, which is integrated with the suitability of land evaluation, will determine the ideal farming system. The ideal farming system including sustainable land management will support the food security scenario of a region. In this chapter, the implementation of fuzzy logic for mapping the agro-ecological zone is discussed. The agro-ecological zone in Boyolali is used as case study in which the mapping considers its physiographic characteristics and climate. Two physiographic characteristics are involved: slope of the land and elevation. Rainfall is used as representative of climate. The experiment results reveal that simple membership function with the Mamdani inferences system could help decision makers to classify the agricultural land in Boyolali.

scholarly journals Integrating an Expert System, GIS, and Satellite Remote Sensing to Evaluate Land Suitability for Sustainable Tea Production in Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 4136
Author(s):  
Animesh Chandra Das ◽  
Ryozo Noguchi ◽  
Tofael Ahamed
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Satellite Remote Sensing ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Multicriteria Analysis ◽  
Land Evaluation ◽  
Land Policy ◽  
Tea Production

Land evaluation is important for assessing environmental limitations that inhibit higher yield and productivity in tea. The aim of this research was to determine the suitable lands for sustainable tea production in the northeastern part of Bangladesh using phenological datasets from remote sensing, geospatial datasets of soil–plant biophysical properties, and expert opinions. Sentinel-2 satellite images were processed to obtain layers for land use and land cover (LULC) as well as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) were used to generate the elevation layer. Other vector and raster layers of edaphic, climatic parameters, and vegetation indices were processed in ArcGIS 10.7.1® software. Finally, suitability classes were determined using weighted overlay of spatial analysis based on reclassified raster layers of all parameters along with the results from multicriteria analysis. The results of the study showed that only 41,460 hectares of land (3.37% of the total land) were in the highly suitable category. The proportions of moderately suitable, marginally suitable, and not suitable land categories for tea cultivation in the Sylhet Division were 9.01%, 49.87%, and 37.75%, respectively. Thirty-one tea estates were located in highly suitable areas, 79 in moderately suitable areas, 24 in marginally suitable areas, and only one in a not suitable area. Yield estimation was performed with the NDVI (R2 = 0.69, 0.66, and 0.67) and the LAI (R2 = 0.68, 0.65, and 0.63) for 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. This research suggests that satellite remote sensing and GIS application with the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) could be used by agricultural land use planners and land policy makers to select suitable lands for increasing tea production.

Extracting topographic characteristics of landforms typical of Canadian agricultural landscapes for agri-environmental modeling. I. Methodology

2011 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng Li ◽  
David Lobb ◽  
Brian McConkey ◽  
R. A. MacMillan ◽  
Alan Moulin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Quantitative Measure ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
Environmental Modeling ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Soil Survey ◽  
Field Soil ◽  
Environmental Models ◽  
Topographic Information ◽  
Topographic Characteristics

Li, S., Lobb, D. A., McConkey, B. G., MacMillan, R. A., Moulin, A. and Fraser, W. R. 2011. Extracting topographic characteristics of landforms typical of Canadian agricultural landscapes for agri-environmental modeling. I. Methodology. Can. J. Soil Sci. 91: 251–266. Soil and topographic information are key inputs for many agri-environmental models and there are linkages between soil and topography at the field scale. A major source of soil data is soil databases established based on field soil survey. Although both soil and topographic information are recorded in field soil surveys, the nominal nature of the topographic data has limited their use in agri-environmental models. In this study, we developed a methodology to extract various topographic derivatives and to classify the landscape into landform elements with distinctive topographic characteristics based on detailed analyses of fine resolution digital elevation models. Data obtained from these analyses were used to calculate a representative two-dimensional hillslope of five segments, each with a defined length and slope gradient. A set of modal hillslopes was developed to describe topographic variability. Additional topographic parameters, ratios and indices were calculated to reflect different aspects of topographic characteristics and also to build connections between different agri-environmental models. In particular, a topographic complexity index was developed as a quantitative measure of the degrees of divergence and convergence. This paper describes the methodology using one site as an example. Application of this methodology to other landforms in agricultural land of Canada is reported in a companion paper.

scholarly journals The Investigation of Factors Influencing the Market Prices of Agricultural Land in Hungary

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 5-10
Author(s):  
Zsuzsanna Tóth-Naár Tóth-Naár ◽  
Pál Ádám Sőreg ◽  
Tamás Antal Naár ◽  
Sergey A. Vinogradov
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Land Evaluation ◽  
Measurement Unit ◽  
Market Prices ◽  
Economic Decisions ◽  
Ownership Of Land

The role of land (as the basis and the resource of agricultural production) is the most significant among the resources of production. The ownership of land, its use, the issue of its price and value, they have been key problems of political, social, legal and economic decisions. There were theoretical and practical experts throughout the world, and we intensively have to deal with the issue of land evaluation. In our research using empirical data collection and statistical methods, we examined not only the factors have influenced on land prices, but its effect as well. We have proven that the „golden crown”-based land evaluation system (golden crown is a measurement unit of the quality of agricultural land in Hungary) can show the land quality differences even today, but in spite of this, the results of calculations (and also the practice) increasingly justify and urge the necessity of the introduction of a modern land evaluation system. namese professionals graduated in Hungary, the reputation and popularity of Hungarian agricultural products and technologies, the achievements of R&D in the field of agriculture – could not be utilized from Hungarian side. Vietnam, however still preserved its socialist political establishment,but in terms of its economic development strategy and economic policy has gradually been standing on the basis of market orientation. Vietnam, with its population of ninety million shows a rapid and successful development and it means good opportunities even for Hungarian entrepreneurs. It would be a mistake to leave these potentials unused. JEL Classification: Q10, Q24, Q30

scholarly journals Geoinformation Methodology of Agricultural Land Evaluation for Agricultural Economic Growth

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 3-8
Author(s):  
Elena Denisova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Land Evaluation ◽  
Industrial Complex ◽  
Land Resources ◽  
Volgograd Region ◽  
Almost All

The formation of an economically developed management system for the country's agro-industrial complex cannot be considered only from the point of view of a separate science. Land resources are the source of profit, which is involved in almost all sectors of society. Land preservation and improvement is required to ensure an economic security and competitiveness of each region of the Russian Federation). The dynamics of changes in the areas of Svetloyarsky district of the Volgograd region in the context of municipalities is analyzed. The actual deviation of the area of Privolzhsky rural settlement amounts to 2,3 % of the statistical data. The boundaries and areas of the used plots of arable land in the Raigorod settlement do not coincide with the data of the state cadastral registration, the discrepancy of only one land plot is 422,44 hectares. By implementing GIS-technologies, the data were obtained for 2355 arable land plots, whereof the irrigated land area amounts to 52138 hectares, instead of the potentially possible 19455 hectares, that exceeds the settlement's capabilities by 2,7 times according to the statistical data.

scholarly journals Soil suitability evaluation for crop selection using fuzzy sets methodology

2016 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amin SHARIFIFAR ◽  
Hadi GHORBANI ◽  
Fereydoon SARMADIAN
Keyword(s):  
Fuzzy Sets ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Clay Content ◽  
Land Evaluation ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Square Root ◽  
Suitability Evaluation ◽  
North East ◽  
Limitation Method

In this study appraisal of four different agricultural land evaluation methods including the so-called Storie method, square root method, maximum limitation method and fuzzy sets method, was done. The study was performed in Bastam region, located in Semnan province at the north east of Iran.<strong> </strong>Three crops including tomato, wheat and potato were assessed for the purpose of this research. Soil characteristics assessed were rooting depth, CaCo<sub>3, </sub>organic carboncontent, clay content, pH and slope gradient. Statistical analyses were done at significance levels of <em>α </em>= 0.1 and <em>α</em> = 0.05. Results of regression between land indices, calculated through the four methods, with observed yields of the crops, showed that the regression were significant in fuzzy sets method for all of the assessed crops at <em>p </em>= 0.05 but not significant in maximum limitation method for any of the crops. The Storie and square root methods also showed a significant correlation with wheat yield at <em>p </em>= 0.1. This study was a demonstrative test of fuzzy sets theory in land suitability evaluation for agricultural uses, which revealed that this methodology is the most correct method in given circumstances.

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