Assessing Soil and Crop Characteristics at Sub-Field Level Using Unmanned Aerial System and Geospatial Analysis

Practicing agriculture is a multiparametric and for this reason demanding task. It involves the management of many factors and thorough strategic planning in a highly variable and uncertain environment. Crop production is a function of agricultural practices as applied in natural resources, such as soil and plants. When referring to conventional agriculture, variability in these resources is neglected, as any field is treated homogenously. On the other hand, site-specific crop management, which was promoted through the advance of technologies, regarding collecting and analyzing data and applying agricultural decisions at a sub-field level, considers field spatial and temporal variations. Localizing inputs in a field rationalizes agricultural waste management and offers promising perspectives towards a circular economy. In this context, two cotton fields in central Greece were selected for this study. During the growing period, reflectance data were acquired, before planting at the end of April, and 100 days after planting at the end of July, with a commercial unmanned aerial system (UAS). The fields were grid sampled for soil (clay content, pH, calcium carbonate percentage, organic matter, total nitrogen, and electrical conductivity) and plant properties (total nitrogen, potassium, iron, copper, and zinc) determination. All data were manipulated through geographical information systems (GIS) and further participated in principal component analysis (PCA) application. PCA revealed important relations and groupings between soil reflectance and organic matter, carbonates, and clay content in both fields (72 to 87% of the total variance in the initial parameters was explained by the extracted components). However, in plant data, the resulting components accounted for less variability in initial data (62 to 72%). PCA resulting scores were introduced in the Fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm, which categorized sub-areas of the fields into two discrete zones per field. Zoning, in the case of soil properties, was accompanied with the statistically important (p < 0.01) discrimination of the mean values (except for total nitrogen and pH), implicating a promising zonal management scheme. The zone delineation process regarding plant properties yielded areas that did not share statistically significant variations, except for the mean values of iron concentration (p < 0.01). According to the results, spatial variations were revealed across the fields, mostly in soil properties, which can be directly monitored through aerial reflectance data. The applied methodology can be used in extension services or by agronomists for producing fertilizer application maps. Further, when integrated with a broader spatial decision support system, it can be used by policy makers for adapting circular economy strategies in crop production.

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Changes in physico-chemical properties of paddy soil due to water and fertilizer management

Asian-Australasian Journal of Bioscience and Biotechnology ◽

10.3329/aajbb.v5i2.53865 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 65-71

Author(s):

Israt Jahan ◽

AKM Abul Ahsan ◽

MMR Jahangir ◽

Mahmud Hossain ◽

Md Anwarul Abedin

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Total Nitrogen ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Crop Production ◽

Soil Health ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Physico Chemical

Soil physico-chemical properties are an important phenomenon for sustainable crop production and maintenance of optimum soil health. Hence, a laboratory measurement was conducted with soil samples of three years long experimental field of the Department of Soil Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh to assess the changes in five selected soil physico-chemical properties viz. soil texture, bulk density, soil pH, total nitrogen and organic matter. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with two water regimes (continuous flooding and alternate wetting & drying) in the main plots and five fertilizer treatments (N0 - control, N1- 140 kg N/ha as PU, N2- 104 kg N/ha as USG (2× 1.8 g/ 4 hills), N3 - 5 t CD + PU @ 140 kg N /ha on IPNS basis and N4- 5 t CD + USG (2× 1.8 g/ 4 hills @ 104 kg N/ha)) in the subplots under rice-rice cropping pattern with three replications. After three years, soil samples were collected at 0-5 and 5-10 cm soil depths for measuring bulk density and at 0-10 cm depth for other soil properties and analyzed. Results found that % sand, % silt, % clay, bulk density and soil pH was not changed significantly compared to initial status. Percentage of total nitrogen and organic matter was significantly affected by irrigation and fertilization. Total nitrogen (%) was higher in AWD whereas organic matter (%) was higher in CF practice. The highest total nitrogen (%) and organic matter (%) was found in N4 treatment in which USG was applied in combination with cowdung as organic manure. It can be suggested that N4 treatment was formed good combination for sustaining chemical properties of soil. Further long- term experimentation will be needed to know the changes in soil properties for sustainable crop production and improving soil health. Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2020, 5 (2), 65-71

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Relationships between extractable Al, selected soil properties, pH buffer capacity and lime requirement in some acidic Queensland soils

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr9920119 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 119 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

RL Aitken

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Buffer Capacity ◽

Clay Content ◽

Ph Buffering ◽

Ph Buffer ◽

Mineral Soils ◽

Chloride Salts ◽

Hydrolysis Of

The objectives of this study were to examine (1) interrelationships between various forms of extractable A1 and selected soil properties, (2) the contribution of extractable A1 to pH buffer capacity, and (3) investigate the use of extractable A1 to predict lime requirement. Aluminium was extracted from each of 60 Queensland soils with a range of chloride salts: 1 M KCl (AlK), 0.5 M CuCl2 (AlCu), 0.33 M LaCl3 (AlLa) and 0.01 M CaCl2 (AlCa). The amounts of A1 extracted were in the order AlCu > AlLa > Alk > AlCa. Little or no A1 was extracted by KC1 or Lac13 in soils with pHw values greater than 5.5 , whereas CuCl2 extracted some A1 irrespective of soil pH. The greater amounts of A1 extracted by CuCl2 were attributed mainly to A1 from organic matter, even though all of the soils were mineral soils (organic carbon 54.7%). Both AlCu and AlLa, were significantly (P < 0.001) correlated with organic carbon, whereas none of the extractable A1 measures was correlated with clay content. AlK and A~L, were poorly correlated to pH buffer capacity. The linear relationship between AlCu and pH buffer capacity (r2 = 0.49) obtained in this study supports the view of previous researchers that the hydrolysis of A1 adsorbed by organic matter is a source of pH buffering in soils. However, the change in CEC with pH accounted for 76% of the variation in pH buffer capacity, indicating that other mechanisms such as deprotonation of organic groups and variable charge minerals are also involved in pH buffering. The ability of CuCl2 and LaCl3extractable Al to estimate lime requirement depended on the target pH. The results suggest that lime requirements based on neutralization of AlLa would be sufficient to raise pHw to around 5.5, whereas requirements based on neutralization of AlCu substantially overestimated the actual lime requirement to pHw 5.5, but gave a reasonable estimation of the lime requirement to pHw 6 5.

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Relationship of soil properties to fractionation, bioavailability and mobility of lead and zinc in soil

Plant Soil and Environment ◽

10.17221/2201-pse ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 53 (No. 5) ◽

pp. 225-238 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

N. Finžgar ◽

P. Tlustoš ◽

D. Leštan

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Regression Analysis ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Multiple Regression ◽

Contaminated Soils ◽

Organic Matter Content ◽

Clay Content ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Matter Content

Sequential extractions, metal uptake by Taraxacum officinale, Ruby’s physiologically based extraction test (PBET) and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), were used to assess the risk of Pb and Zn in contaminated soils, and to determine relationships among soil characteristics, heavy metals soil fractionation, bioavailability and leachability. Regression analysis using linear and 2nd order polynomial models indicated relationships between Pb and Zn contamination and soil properties, although of small significance (P < 0.05). Statistically highly significant correlations (P < 0.001) were obtained using multiple regression analysis. A correlation between soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) and soil organic matter and clay content was expected. The proportion of Pb in the PBET intestinal phase correlated with total soil Pb and Pb bound to soil oxides and the organic matter fraction. The leachable Pb, extracted with TCLP, correlated with the Pb bound to carbonates and soil organic matter content (R2 = 69%). No highly significant correlations (P < 0.001) for Zn with soil properties or Zn fractionation were obtained using multiple regression.

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THE INFLUENCE OF SOME PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES ON SOIL AGGREGATION AND RESPONSE TO VAMA

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss66-025 ◽

1966 ◽

Vol 46 (2) ◽

pp. 155-160 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

G. R. Saini ◽

A. A. MacLean ◽

J. J. Doyle

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Multiple Correlation Coefficient ◽

Mean Weight Diameter ◽

The Mean ◽

Relationship Of ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

The Relationship

The relationship of the mean weight diameter of water-stable aggregates to certain soil properties (clay, organic matter, free iron, free aluminum, and polysaccharide contents) and the relationship of the increase in aggregation caused by VAMA to the same properties of 24 New Brunswick soils were evaluated by correlation and regression analyses.Simple correlation coefficients relating aggregation to soil properties indicated that organic matter (r = 0.627), polysaccharides (r = 0.602), and aluminum (r = 0.679) were the most important factors. However, when the influence of each factor was separated by partial correlation, the coefficients were not significant. On the other hand, the combined effects of all factors as indicated by the multiple correlation coefficient (r = 0.743) was significant at the 1% level. The effect of the same soil properties on response to VAMA, as shown by increase in mean weight diameter, indicated that clay exerted the greatest influence. The relationship with other factors was nonsignificant.

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The effects of organic matter concentration on sediment reworking of Perinereis aibuhitensis : a mesocosm study

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-20817 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jaehwan Seo ◽

Bon Joo Koo

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Feeding Activity ◽

Transport Rate ◽

Benthic Organism ◽

Mean Values ◽

Sediment Reworking ◽

Pellet Production ◽

Organic Matter Concentration ◽

Perinereis Aibuhitensis ◽

The Mean

The organic matter (OM) concentration is one of the most important factors influencing benthic organism sediment reworking during bioturbation. This study was designed to evaluate differences in sediment reworking rate of Perinereis aibuhitensis based on quantification of its pellet production (PP) and OM transport rate from ambient sediment to the surface due to its feeding. The mesocosm experiment was conducted in acrylic container (15&#215;1&#215;20 cm) with two treatments (high OM treatment and low OM treatment) and each treatment had ten replicates. The pellets in each container were removed 2h before the beginning of the pellet collection, and then newly produced pellets were collected every 2 h during 24 h at each treatment. The mean grain size of pellets (5.1 &#8709;) was smaller than that of ambient sediment particles (5.9 &#8709;), and the mean OM concentration was much higher in pellet (0.69% for C and 0.06% for N) than in ambient sediment (0.46% for C and 0.05% for N). Since an organism cannot produce more organic matter than it ingests, production of organically enriched pellets by this species indicates selective ingestion. The overall OM transport rate was 0.7 g C m-2 day-1 in carbon and 0.06 g N m-2 day-1 in nitrogen, respectively. The daily PP was much higher in high OM treatment than that of low OM treatment with mean values of 0.007 and 0.002 g ind.-1 h-1, respectively. It is expected that Perinereis feeding activity strongly depended on OM concentrations. The overall sediment reworking rate based on the pellet production was much higher in high OM concentration (0.005 mm day-1) than in low OM (0.001 mm day-1) concentration.

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Mineralization of soil organic nitrogen under waterlogged conditions in relation to other properties of tropical rice soils

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr9830133 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 133 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

KL Sahrawat

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Total Nitrogen ◽

Organic Nitrogen ◽

Wetland Rice ◽

Organic Carbon Content ◽

Rice Soils ◽

Wide Range ◽

Mineralizable Nitrogen

The mineralizable nitrogen pool in wetland rice soils plays a dominant role in the nitrogen nutrition of rice even in fertilized paddies. There is a lack of information on how different soil properties affect ammonification of organic nitrogen in wetland rice soils. Surface samples of 39 diverse Philippine soils representing a wide range of pH, organic matter and texture were studied to determine the relationships between ammonification of organic nitrogen and soil properties. Simple correlation analysis showed that ammonium production was correlated highly significantly with total nitrogen (r = 0.94**), organic carbon (r = 0.91**) and C/N ratio (r = -0.46**), but it was not significantly correlated with cation exchange capacity, clay or pH. Multiple regression analayses showed that organic matter (organic carbon and total nitrogen) accounted for most of the variation in mineralizable nitrogen. These results suggest that organic carbon content is a good index of mineralizable nitrogen in tropical wetland rice soils.

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Properties of Humic Acids in Meadow Soils Irrigated with the Slope-and-Flooding System

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11122553 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 2553

Author(s):

Magdalena Banach-Szott ◽

Andrzej Dziamski ◽

Maciej Markiewicz

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Carbon Sequestration ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Humic Acids ◽

Infrared Spectra ◽

Soil Protection ◽

Mean Values ◽

Irrigation Ditch ◽

The Mean

The still-advancing soil degradation and the related losses of soil organic carbon stocks due to the limited inflow of organic residues in agro-ecosystems encourage more and more soil protection. Establishing meadow ecosystems is one of the key methods of agricultural land use preventing losses of organic carbon in soils. Based on the research on the properties of humic acids, it is possible to determine the advancement of the processes of transformation and decomposition of soil organic matter. The obtained results may allow for the development of a soil protection strategy and more effective sequestration of organic carbon. Therefore, the aim of the research was to determine the properties of humic acids defining the quality of organic matter of meadow soils irrigated for 150 years with the slope-and-flooding system. The research was performed based on the soils (Albic Brunic Arenosol) sampled from Europe’s unique complex of permanent irrigated grasslands (the same irrigation management for 150 years), applying the slope-and-flooding system: the Czerskie Meadows. The soil samples were assayed for the content of total organic carbon (TOC) and the particle size distribution. HAs were extracted with the Schnitzer method and analysed for the elemental composition, spectrometric parameters in the UV-VIS (ultraviolet-visible) range, hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties and the infrared spectra. The research results showed that the HAs properties depend on the depth and the distance from the irrigation ditch. The HAs of soils sampled from the depth of 0–10 cm were identified with a lower “degree of maturity” as compared with the HAs of soils sampled from the depth of 20–30 cm, reflected by the values of atomic ratios (H/C, O/C, O/H), absorbance coefficients, and the FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared) spectra. The mean values of the H/C ratio in the HAs molecules of soils sampled from the depth of 20–30 cm were lower by 8.2% than those from the depth of 0–10 cm. The mean values of the absorbance coefficient A4/6 in the HAs molecules of soils sampled from the depth of 20–30 cm were lower by 9.6% than in the HAs molecules of soils sampled from the depth of 0–10 cm. The HAs molecules of the soils sampled 25 m from the irrigation ditch were identified with a higher degree of humification, as compared with the HAs of the soils sampled 5 m from the irrigation ditch. The results identified that humic acids produced in the many-year irrigated sandy soils were identified with a high degree of humification, which proves the relative stability of the soil’s organic matter. It confirms the importance of meadow soils for the carbon sequestration process. It should also be emphasized that the research area is interesting, although hardly described in terms of organic matter properties. Further and more detailed applicable research is planned, e.g., monitoring of total organic carbon content and comparing the properties of irrigated and non-irrigated meadow soils. Continuity of research is necessary to assess the direction of the soil organic matter transformation in such a unique ecosystem. The obtained results may allow for the development of, inter alia, models of agricultural practices that increase carbon sequestration in soils. In the long term, this will allow for greater environmental benefits and, thus, also increased financial benefits.

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APPRAISAL OF SOIL PROPERTIES OF SOLANUM MELONGENA L. TO DIFFERENT GROWTH CONDITIONS

10.36106/ijar/9017784 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 53-55

Author(s):

Anjana P. A ◽

Radhakrishnan V .V. ◽

Mohanan K. V.

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Total Nitrogen ◽

Organic Fertilizer ◽

Organic Fertilizers ◽

Soil Parameters ◽

Total Organic Matter ◽

Inorganic Fertilizers ◽

Groundnut Cake

The response of brinjal plants to organic fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers under pot experiment investigated. This invivo experiment did in the Genetics and Plant Breeding Division of the Department of Botany, University of Calicut. Brinjal plants treated with three sources of organic fertilizers (vermicompost, groundnut cake and bonemeal), three sources of inorganic fertilizers (NPK 16:16:16, NPK 10:5:20 and urea) compared with control. The experimental design followed was a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with twenty-ve replicates. Soil properties were analyzed by collecting the soil from nine representative samples from each treatment. The soil parameters such as the pH, electrical conductivity (mhos/cm), total organic carbon (%), total organic matter, total nitrogen, phosphorus (kg/ha), potassium (g/ha), manganese, sulphur, iron, zinc, copper and boron were analyzed. The results showed that the macro and micronutrient availability increased in organic fertilizer treatments. Vermicompost increased soil properties signicantly. The percentage of organic carbon increased in organic fertilizer treatments. The same result showed in the case of total organic matter. Groundnut cake treatment gave the highest organic matter (4.75). Total nitrogen was highest in bonemeal (0.95) and potassium was highest in vermicompost (330kg/ha). Phosphorous (48.33kg/ha) and sulphur (43.1mg kg-1) were recorded highest in bonemeal. The highest values of trace elements (25 mg kg-1for Fe in groundnut cake; 0.96mg kg-1Cu, 14mg kg-1 Mn, 5.1mg kg-1 Zn and 0.98 mg kg-1 B in vermicompost observed. Therefore, 38% of the increase in iron, 17.0% off copper,14.75% increase in manganese, 2.82% increase in zinc and 20.99% increase seen in boron.

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Development of a composite soil degradation assessment index for cocoa agroecosystems in southwestern Nigeria

Solid Earth ◽

10.5194/se-8-827-2017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 827-843 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sunday Adenrele Adeniyi ◽

Willem Petrus de Clercq ◽

Adriaan van Niekerk

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Cation Exchange ◽

Cation Exchange Capacity ◽

Soil Degradation ◽

Clay Content ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Southwestern Nigeria ◽

Assessment Index

Abstract. Cocoa agroecosystems are a major land-use type in the tropical rainforest belt of West Africa, reportedly associated with several ecological changes, including soil degradation. This study aims to develop a composite soil degradation assessment index (CSDI) for determining the degradation level of cocoa soils under smallholder agroecosystems of southwestern Nigeria. Plots where natural forests have been converted to cocoa agroecosystems of ages 1–10, 11–40, and 41–80 years, respectively representing young cocoa plantations (YCPs), mature cocoa plantations (MCPs), and senescent cocoa plantations (SCPs), were identified to represent the biological cycle of the cocoa tree. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 0 to 20 cm in each plot and analysed in terms of their physical, chemical, and biological properties. Factor analysis of soil data revealed four major interacting soil degradation processes: decline in soil nutrients, loss of soil organic matter, increase in soil acidity, and the breakdown of soil textural characteristics over time. These processes were represented by eight soil properties (extractable zinc, silt, soil organic matter (SOM), cation exchange capacity (CEC), available phosphorus, total porosity, pH, and clay content). These soil properties were subjected to forward stepwise discriminant analysis (STEPDA), and the result showed that four soil properties (extractable zinc, cation exchange capacity, SOM, and clay content) are the most useful in separating the studied soils into YCP, MCP, and SCP. In this way, we have sufficiently eliminated redundancy in the final selection of soil degradation indicators. Based on these four soil parameters, a CSDI was developed and used to classify selected cocoa soils into three different classes of degradation. The results revealed that 65 % of the selected cocoa farms are moderately degraded, while 18 % have a high degradation status. The numerical value of the CSDI as an objective index of soil degradation under cocoa agroecosystems was statistically validated. The results of this study reveal that soil management should promote activities that help to increase organic matter and reduce Zn deficiency over the cocoa growth cycle. Finally, the newly developed CSDI can provide an early warning of soil degradation processes and help farmers and extension officers to implement rehabilitation practices on degraded cocoa soils.

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The use of internal markers to estimate herbage digestibility and intake: 1. Potentially indigestible cellulose and acid insoluble ash

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859600032512 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 100 (1) ◽

pp. 127-131 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

P. D. Penning ◽

R. H. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Close Agreement ◽

Live Weight ◽

Mean Values ◽

Large Numbers ◽

The Mean ◽

Mean Differences ◽

Internal Markers

SUMMARYConcentrations of potentially indigestible cellulose (PIC) and acid insoluble ash (AIA) were determined in samples of feed and faeces in a study to determine their value as internal markers. PIC and AIA were then used to predict the organic-matter digestibilities (OMD) of samples of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and lucerne (Medicago sativa)of known OMD which had been determined using wether sheep. The mean values for OMD (%) measured in vivo were 67·2 and 62·8 for ryegrass and 58·0 and 55·8 for lucerne at intakes of 15 and 25 g D.M./kg live weight, respectively.The in vitro digestibility technique, using rumen liquor, gave OMD values of 69·5 and 57·4 for ryegrass and lucerne which are in close agreement with the in vivo values at the lower level of intake.The mean differences between OMD measured in vivo and that estimated using PIC were: -1·1 (± 0·65) and -1·6 (± 0·46) percentage units for ryegrass and lucerne respectively, and using AIA were: -1·4 (± 0·57) and -3·5 (± 1·61).For the two feeds tested, OMD was predicted more precisely by PIC than by AIA or the in vitro digestibility technique. However, the PIC technique required the use of rumen-fistulated animals and 10 days to digest samples of faeces; this may make the technique impractical if large numbers of determinations of PIC are required.

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