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Soil Conductivity as a Measure of Soil and Crop Status—A Four‐Year Summary
Author(s) -
Eigenberg Roger A.,
Nienaber John A.,
Woodbury Bryan L.,
Ferguson Richard B.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj2005.0069
Subject(s) - manure , environmental science , cover crop , agronomy , compost , soil health , hydraulic conductivity , soil organic matter , soil water , soil science , biology , agroforestry
Animal manure can be an important resource providing soil available N for plant needs, but determining the nutrient availability resulting from such amendments is difficult. A study was conducted to examine changes in electromagnetic induction (EMI) soil conductivity and available N levels during four growing seasons in relation to manure or compost application and use of a green winter cover crop. With simultaneous soil samples, a series of soil conductivity maps of a research cornfield were generated using a global positioning system (GPS) and EMI methods. The Clay Center, NE, site was treated during a 10‐yr period with a winter wheat ( Secale cereale L.) winter cover crop (+CC) and no‐cover crop (−CC). The site was split for subtreatments of manure and compost at rates matching either the P or the N requirements of silage corn ( Zea mays L.). Differences between the +CC and −CC treatments for values of NO 3 –N and water‐filled pore space (WFPS), as estimated by apparent electrical conductivity (EC a ), were compared for each year. Differences in profile weighted soil conductivity explained 79.5, 98.0, 93.4, and 98.4% of the variability due to NO 3 –N differences, and only 20.5, 2.0, 6.6, and 1.6% of the variability due to WFPS differences for years 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003, respectively. Sequential measurement of profile‐weighted soil electrical conductivity (EC a ) was effective in identifying the dynamic changes in plant‐available soil N, as affected by animal manure and anhydrous ammonia fertilizer treatments during four corn growing seasons.