Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Yearly permanent variation of soil apparent electrical conductivity and water content

Author(s):

Cengiz Kurtuluş ^1*, Ali Bozkurt ²

Recieved Date: 2008-06-03, Accepted Date: 2008-08-27

Abstract:

Soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) and water content (W_n) of a field with composite soil types were measured during the year of 2004 in the experimental field located in Bahçecik district of Kocaeli northwest of Turkey. The soils in the experimental field consist of sandy silty clay in the upper 1.5 m. The density of the cover topsoil was 1.53 g/cm³ and that of subsoil 1.7 g/cm³. The resistivity measurements were conducted in situ using Wenner electrode system with electrode spacing of 1.0 m at 56 grid points separated with 5.0 m of interval. Conductivity was obtained inversing the apparent electrical resistivity. Collection of soil samples was performed at a depth of 30.0 cm at the EC_a measuring locations. Each sample was analyzed for water content with the oven method and particle size distribution in the laboratory. The water content was measured gravimetrically and then converted to a volumetric basis using bulk density samples previously taken throughout the field. GPS based recording system was used to map conductivity. Soil water contents were regressed against ECa, and a linear correlation was detected for each month. Permanent variation in soil apparent electrical conductivity and water content represents the amount of fertilizer nutrients in soil. Field measurements of both soil apparent (ECa) and (W_n) continued to be consistent throughout the year despite annual agricultural applications. Data display a strong relationship between soil apparent electrical conductivity and water content. Based on this, soil water content at the time of measurements was the major factor contributing to soil apparent electrical conductivity survey. Amount of fertilizer nutrients tends to increase the soil apparent conductivity level.

Keywords:

Apparent electrical conductivity, resistivity, volumetric water content, Wenner electrode system, fertilizer, agriculture, regression analysis

---

Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2008
Volume: 6
Issue: 3&4
Category: Environment
Pages: 547-550

---

Full text for Subscribers

---

Information:

Note to users

The requested document is freely available only to subscribers/registered users with an online subscription to the Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment. If you have set up a personal subscription to this title please enter your user name and password. All abstracts are available for free.

Article purchasing

If you like to purchase this specific document such as article, review or this journal issue, contact us. Specify the title of the article or review, issue, number, volume and date of the publication. Software and compilation, Science & Technology, all rights reserved. Your use of this website details or service is governed by terms of use. Authors are invited to check from time to time news or information.

---

Purchase this Article:   20 Purchase PDF Order Reprints for 15

---

Share this article :