A Non-Destructive Method for Determining the Distribution of Soil Water Content by Measuring Fast Neutron Transmission Using an NE-213 Organic Scintillator

1984 ◽  
Vol 23 (Part 1, No. 8) ◽  
pp. 1124-1128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshihiko Ohnuki ◽  
Tadatoshi Yamamoto ◽  
Yoshiki Wadachi
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brody L Teare ◽  
Henry Ruiz ◽  
Afolabi Agbona ◽  
Matthew Wolfe ◽  
Iliyanna Dobreva ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Root phenotyping methods are of increasing importance as researchers seek to understand belowground productivity and breeders work to select for root traits. Effective non-destructive root phenotyping methods do not exist for bulked-root and tuber crops such as potato and cassava. Cassava is a tropical crop widely grown by subsistence farmers throughout the tropics and is the fourth most important staple food crop in the world, yet lags in research. It has an extensive growth period sometimes exceeding 12 months. Early maturity is a major goal for breeders, but the ability to select for it is hampered by the lack of non-destructive yield estimation methods. GPR is a tool with potential to aid in bulked root selection, but standard methods have yet to be developed. In this study, we demonstrate good practice in GPR estimation of root mass, which was used as a proxy for cassava root mass, and investigate the effect of soil water content on measurement.Results: Significant correlation between GPR data and daikon root mass was found for three of the five irrigation treatments. Correlation strength improved with increased soil water content and decreased variation of soil water content between plots. Pearson correlation coefficient varied from 0.53 – 0.79.Conclusions: GPR can be used to estimate bulked root mass. Wet soil can improve the predictive quality of GPR data, but water content needs to be homogeneous throughout the study site and period. Determining the optimal soil water content will require further research.


Soil Research ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 435 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Hainsworth ◽  
LAG Aylmore

To date no experimental technique has been capable of directly and repetitively measuring spatial distributions of soil water content in a non-destructive manner. The potential of computer assisted tomography (CAT) to overcome this problem has been examined in this paper. The results obtained from a commercially-produced X-ray CAT scanner and a conventional gamma scanner suggest that CAT scanning can be used to determine spatial changes in soil water content with adequate resolution for soil-plant studies. The technique can clearly be used to resolve spatial changes in soil water content with time. Application of the technique to water uptake by a single plant root shows that CAT scanning presents an extremely exciting possibility for studies of soil-plant water relations.


Author(s):  
M.C.H.Mouat Pieter Nes

Reduction in water content of a soil increased the concentration of ammonium and nitrate in solution, but had no effect on the concentration of phosphate. The corresponding reduction in the quantity of phosphate in solution caused an equivalent reduction in the response of ryegrass to applied phosphate. Keywords: soil solution, soil water content, phosphate, ryegrass, nutrition.


2010 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Tóth ◽  
Cs. Farkas

Soil biological properties and CO2emission were compared in undisturbed grass and regularly disked rows of a peach plantation. Higher nutrient content and biological activity were found in the undisturbed, grass-covered rows. Significantly higher CO2fluxes were measured in this treatment at almost all the measurement times, in all the soil water content ranges, except the one in which the volumetric soil water content was higher than 45%. The obtained results indicated that in addition to the favourable effect of soil tillage on soil aeration, regular soil disturbance reduces soil microbial activity and soil CO2emission.


Author(s):  
Justyna Szerement ◽  
Aleksandra Woszczyk ◽  
Agnieszka Szyplowska ◽  
Marcin Kafarski ◽  
Arkadiusz Lewandowski ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-307
Author(s):  
Meijun ZHANG ◽  
Wude YANG ◽  
Meichen FENG ◽  
Yun DUAN ◽  
Mingming TANG ◽  
...  

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 549f-550
Author(s):  
Mongi Zekri ◽  
Bruce Schaffer ◽  
Stephen K. O'Hair ◽  
Roberto Nunez-Elisea ◽  
Jonathan H. Crane

In southern Florida, most tropical fruit crops between Biscayne and Everglades National Parks are irrigated at rates and frequencies based on experience and observations of tree growth and fruit yield rather than on reliable quantitative information of actual water use. This approach suggests that irrigation rates may be excessive and could lead to leaching of agricultural chemicals into the groundwater in this environmentally sensitive area. Therefore, a study is being conducted to increase water use efficiency and optimize irrigation by accurately scheduling irrigation using a very effective management tool (EnviroScan, Sentek Environmental Innovations, Pty., Kent, Australia) that continuously monitors soil water content with highly accurate capacitance multi-sensor probes installed at several depths within the soil profile. The system measures crop water use by monitoring soil water depletion rates and allows the maintenance of soil water content within the optimum range (below field capacity and well above the onset of plant water stress). The study is being conducted in growers' orchards with three tropical fruit crops (avocado, carambola, and `Tahiti' lime) to facilitate rapid adoption and utilization of research results.


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