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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Soil, Water & Air Resources Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #321474
Title: Temporal soil bulk density following tillage

Author
item CARR, BENJAMIN - Iowa State University
item LU, YILI - China Agricultural University
item Sauer, Thomas
item HEITMAN, JOSHUA - North Carolina State University
item REN, TUSHENG - China Agricultural University
item HORTON, ROBERT - Iowa State University

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/18/2015
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Soil is the medium for air, energy, water, and chemical transport between the atmosphere and the solid earth. Soil bulk density is a key variable impacting the rate at which this transport occurs. Typically, soil bulk density is measured by the gravimetric method, where a sample of known volume is taken from the field, weighed, dried, and weighed again. However, recent studies have shown the usefulness of a thermo-time-domain reflectometry (TDR) sensor to continuously monitor in situ bulk density changes. In this study, the gravimetric method will be compared with the thermo-TDR sensor bulk density on a Nicollet (Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Hapludoll) loam soil in central Iowa. After tilling the soil, it will be fallowed and instrumented. We will observe the soil during weathering, which will settle the plowed layer. We plan to report the differences in the tilled layer bulk density between the two methods. In situ measurement of bulk density using the thermo-TDR probe is expected to perform similarly to the gravimetric method, allowing for non-destructive and continuous measurements of the dynamic plow layer.