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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Southeast Watershed Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #211654

Title: Developing Nematode Management Zones Using Soil EC Data

Author
item PERRY, CALVIN - UGA
item Sullivan, Dana
item ORTIZ, BRENDA - UGA
item RUCKER, KEITH - UGA
item VELLIDIS, GEORGE - UGA

Submitted to: Proceedings of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers International (ASABE)
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/17/2007
Publication Date: 6/17/2007
Citation: Perry, C., Sullivan, D.G., Ortiz, B., Rucker, K., Vellidis, G. 2007. Developing Nematode Management Zones Using Soil EC Data. Proceedings of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers International (ASABE), Minneapolis, MN, 6/17-20, 2007.

Interpretive Summary: Much research work is ongoing that is investigating methods and tools for delineating cotton root knot nematode [M. incognita] management zones via soil texture. Apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) can be a surrogate measurement for determining soil texture as clay content is a dominant physical property affecting ECa. The Veris 3100 soil EC sensor is often used to obtain near-continuous ECa data across fields. Research from Midwest and Plains states indicates correlations between ECa and soil texture have varied widely. Results from two years of comparisons of Veris soil ECa data to actual soil texture from nine South Georgia cotton fields indicated deep (0-90 cm) ECa values provided by the Veris 3100 sensor compared reasonably well to lab texture results. Correlations (r) between % sand and/or % clay and ECa for deep depth (0-90 cm) were between 0.31 and 0.94 for 2006 and 0.35 to 0.90 for 2005. The Veris sensor proved useful for creating soil zones in the fields involved in this study in 2005/2006.

Technical Abstract: Much research work is ongoing that is investigating methods and tools for delineating cotton root knot nematode [M. incognita] management zones via soil texture. Apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) can be a surrogate measurement for determining soil texture as clay content is a dominant physical property affecting ECa. The Veris 3100 soil EC sensor is often used to obtain near-continuous ECa data across fields. Research from Midwest and Plains states indicates correlations between ECa and soil texture vary widely. Results from two years of comparisons of Veris soil ECa data to actual soil texture from nine South Georgia cotton fields indicated deep (0-90 cm) ECa values provided by the Veris 3100 sensor compared reasonably well to lab texture results. Correlations (r) between % sand and/or % clay and ECa for deep depth (0-90 cm) were between 0.31 and 0.94 for 2006 and 0.35 to 0.90 for 2005. The Veris sensor proved useful for creating soil zones in the fields involved in this study in 2005/2006.