What is Soil EC(Electrical Conductivity)?

Soil EC is an infield measurement that correlates directly with the very soil properties that affect crop productivity such as soil texture, cation exchange capacity (CEC), drainage conditions, organic matter levels, salinity and subsoil characteristics.

Soil EC is typically collected using either an electromagnetic (EM) sensor or a Veris EC system. Soil EC mapping measures bulk soil electrical conductivity that varies by the underlying soil particle composition (amount of sand, silts and clays), thus correlating strongly to soil particle size and texture.
Why should you Soil ECmap your fields?

Provides base data layer for all your Precision Ag program needs:

Soil EC is one of the simplest and lowest cost solutions available today to precisely characterize soil variability in your fields.
Soil EC relates to specific soil properties affecting crop yield and production including: – Water Holding Capacity; – Top Soil Depth; – Subsoil Constraints; – Salt Concentrations.

Soil EC accurately correlates, identifies and explains yield variability.

Improves upon older and less precise NRCS soil type maps:

• Soil EC maps provide high resolution, finely detailed, spatial information that identifies variability within NRCS soil type map zones.
• The image on the left shows NRCSsoil type map breaks overlaid on a Soil ECmap. The image on the right is the corresponding corn yield map. Which map (NRCSsoil type or Soil EC)would you rather use to make your crop management decisions?
• Is Soil ECmapping worth the low cost investment?
• Variable Rate Irrigation – Soil EC helps increase energy and water use efficiency while improving crop yields and maximizing Precision Ag opportunities. Without Soil ECyou can really only approximate the true extent of your field’s variability.
• Variable Rate Seeding and Nitrogen – Soil EC helps insure you optimally apply these vital crop inputs in the correct locations. With rising input costs and higher yield demands, precision applications are more important than ever.
• Optimum Soil Moisture Probe Locations – Soil EC accurately identifies your field’s majority soil type to provide more precise irrigation scheduling recommendations and maximize overall profit.