Spatial analysis of the electrical conductivity of the subsoil in various production technologies

The cultivation technology that is used has a very large impact on changes in the physical and chemical properties of the soil. Depending on the machines used and doses of added fertilizers, the changes may concern shallow or deep soil layers. The most commonly used method to quickly determine spatial variability is the measurement of the electrical properties of the soil using the EM38 conductivity meter. The aim of the study was to analyse the spatial variability of the electrical conductivity of the subsoil in fields where traditional cultivation technology and precision farming technology were used. The research consisted of scanning the soil with the EM38 probe at 4 experimental sites and subjecting the results to spatial analysis in the GIS software. The analysis of the obtained results showed that the soil electromagnetic conductivity variability testing method identifies the actual soil variability very well. It should be noted, however, that the lack of additional classical validation measurements may lead to erroneous conclusions. Even with similar soils in the fields, there may be significant differences in mean values (103 - 190 mS · m −1 ) and variability (18 - 41%).