WATER INFILTRATION EVALUATED BY DIFFERENT METHODS AS AN INDICATOR OF YIELD POTENTIAL OF OXISOL AREAS MANAGED UNDER PRECISION FARMING

Soil water infiltration, determined by three different methods, was evaluated as an indicator of yield potential of Oxisol areas managed with precision farming tools. The study was carried out in two commercial croplands located in Palmeira das Missoes and Nao-Me-Toque, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The soil is classified as Oxisol (Hapludox). By using precision farming tools and overlapping historical georeferenced yields, the cropland was divided into zones of homogeneous (low, medium and high) yield potential, and. soil water infiltration was evaluated. Three methods were used: double concentric rings, Cornell infiltrometer and the Soil Quality Test Kit, with five replicates per area. Regardless of the type of measurement, soil water infiltration was an efficient indicator of yield production. The highest rates of infiltration occurred in areas of high productive potential, followed by areas of medium and low zones.