Articles
Soil mapping technology for perennial crops
Article number
1395_23
Pages
171 – 178
Language
English
Abstract
Soil testing has been used for more than a century to guide nutrient management practices in agriculture.
New technology brings the potential for precision and variable rate management in perennial crops, promising reduced orchard variability and enhanced productivity.
During 2021 and 2022, a gamma-ray mapping tool (SoilOptix®) was evaluated against standard soil test, and plant productive indicators.
The study was conducted in a Honeycrisp orchard in southcentral Washington, USA. Soil chemical and physical conditions were variable across the site, providing an ideal testbed for evaluating soil mapping tools.
SoilOptix® generated variable maps for sand, silt, clay, organic matter, CEC, soil pH, NO3, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, B, soluble salts among others.
SoilOptix® and soil standard test correlated positively, but weakly for pH (r=0.58), K (r=0.19), NO3 (r=0.27), OM (r=0.58), Zn (r=0.46), Fe (r=0.49), and strongly Ca (r=0.92), Mg (r=0.63) and B (r=0.76) in 2021. In 2022, Ca (r=0.96), Mg (r=0.74), B (r=0.93), Fe (r=0.57) and NH4 (r=0.61) had a positive and strong correlation.
Regarding the relationship between SoilOptix® and plant parameters, Na SoilOptix® map correlated positively with fruit cracking (r=0.63) and negatively with fruit diameter (r=-0.60), but only in 2022. In summary, SoilOptix® proved to be a useful tool to map soil texture, Ca, Mg and B relative differences.
However, absolute values were different than those provided by the standard laboratory soil test.
Consequently, SoilOptix® mapping can effectively be used to identify variable areas in an orchard but should be complemented with ground sampling for nutrient rate estimation.
To determine nutrient rate for soil nutrient corrections, the standard soil testing method remains the preferred choice.
New technology brings the potential for precision and variable rate management in perennial crops, promising reduced orchard variability and enhanced productivity.
During 2021 and 2022, a gamma-ray mapping tool (SoilOptix®) was evaluated against standard soil test, and plant productive indicators.
The study was conducted in a Honeycrisp orchard in southcentral Washington, USA. Soil chemical and physical conditions were variable across the site, providing an ideal testbed for evaluating soil mapping tools.
SoilOptix® generated variable maps for sand, silt, clay, organic matter, CEC, soil pH, NO3, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, B, soluble salts among others.
SoilOptix® and soil standard test correlated positively, but weakly for pH (r=0.58), K (r=0.19), NO3 (r=0.27), OM (r=0.58), Zn (r=0.46), Fe (r=0.49), and strongly Ca (r=0.92), Mg (r=0.63) and B (r=0.76) in 2021. In 2022, Ca (r=0.96), Mg (r=0.74), B (r=0.93), Fe (r=0.57) and NH4 (r=0.61) had a positive and strong correlation.
Regarding the relationship between SoilOptix® and plant parameters, Na SoilOptix® map correlated positively with fruit cracking (r=0.63) and negatively with fruit diameter (r=-0.60), but only in 2022. In summary, SoilOptix® proved to be a useful tool to map soil texture, Ca, Mg and B relative differences.
However, absolute values were different than those provided by the standard laboratory soil test.
Consequently, SoilOptix® mapping can effectively be used to identify variable areas in an orchard but should be complemented with ground sampling for nutrient rate estimation.
To determine nutrient rate for soil nutrient corrections, the standard soil testing method remains the preferred choice.
Authors
B. Sallato
Keywords
apple, gamma-ray, smart technology, soil fertility, variable rate
Groups involved
- Division Temperate Tree Nuts
- Division Vine and Berry Fruits
- Division Temperate Tree Fruits
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Tropical and Subtropical Fruit and Nuts
- Working Group Precision Management of Orchards and Vineyards
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