Understanding soil variability for effective zone management in precision agriculture—an evaluation of sensor-based soil mapping tools
Project leads:
Ken Coles, Manager, Farming Smarter
Dr. Muhammad Akbar, Research Scientist, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
Start Date: April 2012
End Date: December 2015
Alberta Barley’s contribution: $10,000
Partners:
- Alberta Barley
- Alberta Canola Producers Commission
Total funding from other partners: $165,000
Summary:
The project aims to evaluate the EM38 and VERIS soil mapping tools, management
zone delineation techniques and agronomy options. It will provide scientific
data regarding precision agriculture tools and simple protocols for farmers
considering adopting this technology.
Recent updates:
This study compared the performance of two soil EC sensors, EM38-MK2 (EM38) and
Veris MSP3 (Veris). We assessed soil EC mapping as a low-cost alternative to
grid soil sampling for estimating in-field soil variability. Additionally, we
assessed the capacity of soil sensors as well as other layers of mapped data to
create zones for variable rate management applications. The study showed that
EM38 and Veris performance is accurate and consistent over both time and space.
Soil EC maps from both sensors were found to be strong indicators of the
presence of clay and soil moisture. However, the study revealed that mapped EC
data could not be used for a direct estimation of the spatial distribution of
plant macro-nutrients (NPKS).
Benefits for farmers:
As a result of this research, farmers will know what is worth their time and
money, whether they are working with an agronomist or attempting precision
agriculture on their own.