Soil mapping is a process that involves a systematic observation and recording of the soil texture and nutrients, and their distribution within a particular area. It has several critical applications. It helps farmers to make well-thought and informed decisions about the crop selection, fertilization, and irrigation.
A farm map can also help to identify soil types and other characteristics, like slope, to help make management decisions like cattle grazing plans and crop rotations. A soil map can be helpful when planning your fertilizer amendments and irrigation usage. Finally, soil mapping in the USA can be crucial in emergency planning. For instance, in the case of an emergency manure spill, a soil map can help identify sensitive bodies of water or wells that might be affected.
Versatility of a Soil Map:
Some field maps are used to record agricultural operations conducted on the land, while the others may be used to record the past harvests. Agricultural practitioners can also use soil sampling technologies to create soil maps that reflect the quality parameters of different sections of the land.
Soil mapping is a technique that has become usual within precision farming. This type of farming uses the most advanced technology to obtain the most accurate information about the condition of soil, weather, and the crops.
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- Composition of the soil. To accurately determine which crop varieties and species will perform best based on soil type, it’s essential to understand the elements of the soil and how they are distributed across the field.
- Ph and conductivity. Determining values like the pH or the conductivity of the soil is fundamental to choosing the best fertilizers and other nutrients.
- Fertility. Knowing what fertility can be expected from a land plot is essential to choosing the times of cultivation correctly.
- Texture. The texture of the soil will allow us to know which sort of fertilizers we can use at every moment and every place.
Digital Farm Maps:
How do we carry out a soil mapping?
We have several techniques available to make maps that give us different layers of information about the soil. Traditionally, maps were made using open soil pits, but nowadays, we can resort to much more advanced tools. The main ones are these:
- Electrical and electromagnetic sensors. One of the most frequent ways of mapping the soil is to measure its electrical and electromagnetic features. These values will allow us to understand its composition and other valuable information. The machines that make this sort of map used to be terrestrial, like, for example, a tractor furnished with a device capable of measuring these electrical values.
- Optical sensors. In this case, machines detect the differences in colour in the soils, allowing the interpretation of their characteristics. Drones have been increasingly included in these procedures. They can take really accurate pictures of the soil from suitable heights.
- Mechanical sensors. A frequent method to know the composition of a land plot is using tools that, when clamped to the soil, allow determining which sort of elements form this one and in which densities.
- Electrochemical sensors. These devices can determine the presence of potassium, nitrates and other elements and their electrical characterization.
– Gamma Radiation Spectrometers. These passive sensors measure the natural radiometric signature that is emitted from the soil as it’s decaying. This stable and repeatable collected data, when combined with soil samples, can be used to model high resolution soil property information that can help to drive better input management decisions.
Soil Mapping – a Tool for Agricultural Management:
Soil maps can help the agri-businesses to benefit from the simplified and digitized soil management. They can also learn about the soil characteristics beneath the ground’s surface over a big area rather than only at specific locations. This understanding enables farmers to implement the right treatment methods. It can assist them in increasing the fertility and, consequently, yields while minimizing water and fertilizer consumption.
In Conclusion:
Agricultural soil mapping is an advanced precision agriculture technique that permits agriculture professionals to gain more insight into their operation, quickly record procedures that are carried out on the land, minimize the unnecessary use of fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation, and maximize harvests by choosing cultures that will thrive in their soil.
For more information on gamma radiation sensors for advanced soil mapping, get in touch with our experts at SoilOptix®.
