Use of In Situ Soil Solution Electric Conductivity to Evaluate Mineral N in Commercial Orchards: Preliminary Results
| Autor: | Massimo Noferini, Enrico Muzzi, Moreno Toselli, Elena Baldi, Maurizio Quartieri |
|---|---|
| Přispěvatelé: | Baldi E., Quartieri M., Muzzi E., Noferini M., Toselli M. |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
soil probe Soil texture Plant Science Horticulture engineering.material lcsh:Plant culture 01 natural sciences complex mixtures nitrate-N chemistry.chemical_compound Nitrate organic fertilizer lcsh:SB1-1110 soil probes precision agriculture Moisture soil texture 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences chemistry Agronomy orchard nutrition Loam Soil water 040103 agronomy & agriculture engineering 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries Environmental science Fertilizer Precision agriculture Organic fertilizer 010606 plant biology & botany |
| Zdroj: | Horticulturae, Vol 6, Iss 39, p 39 (2020) Horticulturae Volume 6 Issue 3 |
| ISSN: | 2311-7524 |
| Popis: | The aim of the present experiment was to evaluate the effectiveness of soil electrical conductivity (EC) measurement as a fast tool to assess mineral nitrogen (N) in orchards, in order to define precise N inputs that can help farmers to reduce useless fertilizer application. During one vegetative season, seven orchards of different species, supplied with mineral or organic fertilization, were monitored. Nitrate soil concentration was measured monthly by laboratory analyses, while soil EC and moisture were recorded continuously by soil probes. Nitrate and EC were positively correlated, laying the foundation for the identification of a fast and reliable index. However, while some dates showed a high Pearson correlation coefficient, no correlation was found for others. The correlation was not affected by type of fertilizer, and was higher in silty-clay-loam than in loam soils. Pooling all of the data, a significant correlation with a Pearson coefficient of 0.75 was found. The soil optimal nitrate N availability was defined by an EC in the range of 0.3 to 0.6 mS cm&minus 1. Although these are only preliminary results, our data are promising, showing a good suitability of soil EC measurement as a means to monitor soil mineral N availability. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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