In recent years, natural fertilizers have been replaced by synthetic nutrients in many places. This is a choice that empowers the farmers in making advanced land management decisions to enhance their yields. It is crucial to achieve a natural balance of soil as a part of sustainable production. Farmers have to be strategic about continuously monitoring the soil composition. With the advances in agricultural technology, it helps farmers in gathering accurate data about the fields so that they can make a more informed decision. One such example is the drone-enabled multispectral remote sensing for soil mapping. It has the ability to analyze multiple acres of farmland using advanced sensors.
Source: Freepik
Digital Soil Mapping in the USA:
Digital soil mapping is the “creation and population of spatial soil information systems using field and laboratory observational methods, fused with spatial and non-spatial soil inference systems. Predictive digital soil mapping in the USA empowers farmers to predict the soil classifications or the properties from the collected data using an algorithm. The samples can be used to understand the soil landscape in a better way.
The best thing about digital soil mapping is the ability to depict smaller segments of the landscape for the traditional soil classes, the continuous representation of the chemical and physical properties in different dimensions, and the associated generation of raster layers that represent respective uncertainties. These are specific features that allow the scientists to have a much more complete and thorough representation of the soil knowledge. Digital soil mapping also helps in figuring out the nutrient deficiency in specific areas of the soil.
Nutrient deficiency is caused when the plants don’t absorb the necessary amount of a nutrient, and it leads to a wide array of health problems like chlorosis, stunted growth, and poor yield.
Digital Soil Mapping and Testing for Plant-Available Nutrients:
Predictive digital soil mapping and testing procedures are crucial for farmers to assess the soil for available plant nutrients. Soil analysis is by far the best management practice (BMP). It helps farmers achieve productive and profitable yields while protecting the environment from nutrient losses and excessive fertilization. Here is how you would understand the nutrient deficiencies in plants.
The detection process starts with a field inspection of the crop and its growth failures. Also, you must exclude the abnormal conditions with similar signs and offer the crop with the corresponding element. Plant nutrient deficiency identification includes the following methods:
- Visual examination that excludes past attacks and crop diseases because of biotic stresses.
- Consider the possible impact of an unfavorable growth environment
- In-field and remote crop monitoring to check the signs of nutrient deficiency.
- Soil testing for chemical content, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), salinity, and more.
While identifying the plant nutrient deficiencies, it is important to analyze the affected parts (older or newer foliage). In this way, you shall find out if the crops suffer from a deficiency of immobile or mobile chemical elements.
The Different Ways Digital Soil Mapping is Executed:
Electrical & Electromagnetic Sensors :
This is one of the best and most common ways of digital soil mapping to measure electrical and electromagnetic values. These values will allow you to understand the soil composition and other valuable information.
Optical Sensors:
The machines will detect the differences in soil color, which helps to interpret their characteristics. The drones are included in this process because they can take accurate pictures of the soil from different suitable heights.
Mechanical Sensors:
This is a systematic method to know the composition of the land. Mechanical sensors use tools that determine which elements are from this one and the densities when clamped to the soil.
Electrochemical Sensors: These devices help in determining the presence of potassium, nitrates, and all other elements, as well as the electrical characterization.
Conclusion:
Monitoring soil composition and conditions is crucial for modern farming practices. Like most things, the more accurate data you have, the better. Predictive digital soil mapping in the USA empowers farmers to make informed decisions regarding the planting of crops and making adjustments. The result? Better and healthier yields with much more sustainable soil management practices.
To get the best predictive digital soil mapping in the USA , contact SoilOptix® today! Visit https://soiloptix.com/ for details.