Soil Electrical Conductivity Mapping
Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC) Mapping measures how well soil can conduct an electrical current. The use of it on your farm provides information about the soil’s ability to hold nutrients. Soil EC can be influenced by factors such as soil texture, moisture, and mineral content.
Not all soils are created equally, nor do they have the same levels of productivity. Understanding the soil within your fields is important for several reasons.
Identifying Problematic Areas
Soil EC mapping can help identify areas of soil compaction, drainage issues, and even the presence of contaminants, allowing you to make decisions and optimize plant growth.
Condition & Fertility of Your Soils
Soil EC mapping is the basis of Zone Management, we use soil EC values to identify productivity zones in conjunction with the soil test taken from the corresponding zones.
Understanding Your Soils EC
Low Soil EC Levels
Lower EC values indicate low concentrations of soluble salts and good soil fertility. However, extremely low EC values can also indicate a lack of essential nutrients (P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, and Cu).
High Soil EC Levels
High EC values may suggest excessive salt accumulation or poor drainage, which can negatively impact plant growth.
Set Yourself Up for Success
It is important to use EC mapping along with targeted zone soil testing. This allows for test results to be compared to established guidelines and recommendations for your crops enabling Variable Rate (VR) applications of your seed, fertilizer, and soil applied herbicides. By using the combination of zone mapping, testing and VR application you can reduce the risk of over, or under application when minimizing the potential for nutrient loss or environmental impact.