small scale spatial variability of apparent electrical conductivity within a paddy field小规模的空间变异性明显在稻田导电性.pdf

Hindawi Publishing Corporation Applied and Environmental Soil Science Volume 2009, Article ID 267378, 7 pages doi:10.1155/2009/267378 Research Article Small Scale Spatial Variability of Apparent Electrical Conductivity within a Paddy Field W. Aimrun,1 M. S. M. Amin,1, 2 and M. H. Ezrin1 1 Smart Farming Technology Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia 2 Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Correspondence should be addressed to W. Aimrun, aimrun@ Received 19 March 2009; Accepted 29 May 2009 Recommended by Amaresh K. Nayak Quick variability description is an important component for zone management practices. Precision farming requires topping up of only the nutrients that are lacking in the soil to attain the highest yield with the least input. The apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa ) sensor is a useful tool in mapping to identify areas of contrasting soil properties. In nonsaline soils, ECa is a substitute measurement for soil texture. It is directly related to both water holding capacity and Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), which are key ingredients of productivity. This sensor measures the ECa across a field quickly and gives detailed soil features (one-second interval) with few operators. Hence, a dense sampling is possible and therefore a high-resolution ECa map can be produced. This study aims to characterize the variability of soil ECa within a Malaysian paddy field with respect to the spatial and seasonal variability. The study was conducted at Block C, Sawah Sempadan, Selangor, Malaysia, for three continuous seasons. Soi