One of the main goals of agriculture and agricultural
engineers is feeding the world. What is one big factor that directly relates to
production of food? The soil that it grows in! In the past, all the soil in a
field was treated the same with uniform management. In order to move forward in
the quest of feeding the world, it has been realized that knowing the soil one
is working with and managing it properly with advanced equipment can greatly
improve yields. One of the best ways to know the soil is to map it properly.
Once it is mapped properly, a whole new window of variable rate applications
can be opened. One company that can aid in this process is Veris Technologies
and their soil sensing machinery.
Veris V3150
With Veris machinery there are three types of sensors that
can be used to map the soil: electrical conductivity sensors, organic matter
sensors, and pH sensors. These three maps of the soil can tell one a lot of
information. To start, an understanding of how it all works and what data it gives
is necessary to realize the benefits.
Electrical conductivity mapping is done using electrical
currents traveling through the soil. Veris uses disks on their machines that
act as electrodes, sending currents into the soil, while other disks on the
machine measure the change in voltage based on the composition of the soil. This
is done at certain depths of one to three feet. The composition of the soil is
one of the keys to understanding the soil. The composition of the soil gives
the amount of sand, silt, and clay or the texture of the soil, along with salt
content. This is extremely important, because a field can change soil
composition in a matter of meters. This means how a farmer is to manage one
part of the field versus another part of the same field greatly depends on the texture
of the soil. For example certain soil textures tend to support growth more readily
than others meaning more seed can be planted in the right soil.
Organic matter sensors and pH sensors do exactly what the
names imply; they measure the amount of organic matter in the soil and the pH
of the soil. The organic matter is essential for crop growth and managing
organic matter is a key to increasing yields. Veris uses a dual-wavelength optical
sensor with a sapphire window to measure organic matter. A shoe on the machine
digs just under the surface allowing the sapphire window to drag across the
soil. This allows it to measure the organic matter of the soil.
The pH of a field is important as well. The proper pH level
is essential to maximize growth of crops. The problem is pH can change rapidly,
so how a farmer should apply product to change pH should change rapidly as
well. This can only be done with a proper map of the pH. Veris uses two sensors
on their machines that constantly measure pH and rinse as the machine is pulled
across the field, giving accurate readings of pH.
A raw pH map from a Veris V3150
These maps help utilize the soil to its full potential,
increasing yields and saving money by limiting areas that are less productive all
while also treating these areas properly. In a changing world where more land
is converted from farm land to industrial use, land has to be used to its full
potential and detailed maps of the soil are an important tool in doing so.
Sources
www.veristech.com
Map provided by LRSC Precision Ag Center
Photo by Talon Mack
Veris originally introduced the unit to measure soil conductivity back in the late 90's. The unit was connected to a measuring device and the data was paired to the GPS coordinates of the field. One of the big benefits of using the sensor was for determining high salt content areas of the fields. These areas of the fields produce far less of a crop, and whatever fertilizer is applied often leaches with the soil moisture. Knowing where the salt content is high, farmers can reduce the amount of fertilizer that area of the field receives. By the good article you wrote, Veris has added a few other sensors with it.
ReplyDeleteOrganic matter doesn't change much from year to year, so once they map a field, the results should stay consistent for quite a few years. This is a very nice benefit, since the farmer only has to pay for the use of this one time.
Soil pH will rarely change, so the map should remain accurate for years to come. Too high or too low pH soils can bind to fertilizer, which reduces the availability of critical nutrients to plants.
By adding various other variables, such as conductivity (EC), pH, and OM to mapping software, such as AgLeader's SMS or Trimble's FarmWorks, these additional maps can help determine areas of the field that are affected the most by various factors. This can lead to better use of expensive fertilizer.
Great article Talon. I have no experience with agricultural engineering so this was interesting to read about. I had no idea so much data went into mapping soil. I had never really thought about it and if someone asked I probably would of thought of a core sample that contained all the different layers of soil. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGreat article Talon. I have no experience with agricultural engineering so this was interesting to read about. I had no idea so much data went into mapping soil. I had never really thought about it and if someone asked I probably would of thought of a core sample that contained all the different layers of soil. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI thought your article was very interesting. I just recently was doing some reading on this same topic, and I think the practice of analyzing and mapping fields will become very widespread. One thing I am curious of is what is the next step after mapping? I understand that from field to field, changes can be made to maximize yields and bring the soils up to optimal levels. I am curious if changes can be made within the field to improve the soil, or if it would even be beneficial from a cost perspective.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I am curious of is if there is any way to combat increasing electrical conductivity in soil. As EC essentially measures ion concentrations in the soil, is there anyway to decrease it if it is higher than optimal? I think the technology behind these devises is very interesting and innovative, and I look forward to reading about new innovations in this area.