Electrical Conductivity-based Mapping of Paddy Yield using TDR Soil Sensor
Keywords:
crop yield, electrical conductivity, heat map, paddy yield, Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR)Abstract
Electrical conductivity is a physio-chemical property of soil that correlates with soil properties that affect crop productivity. A study was conducted to map the paddy yield on the basis of apparent electrical conductivity (ECa ) at three depth levels (L1 = 76 mm, L2 = 122 mm, L3 = 203.2 mm) measured using the Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR). The statistical correlations between ECa and paddy yield were established and variations in paddy yield were mapped. The correlation coefficient between crop yield and ECa was highest (r2 =0.47) for measurements taken at L3, whereas paddy yield was poorly correlated with ECa measurements at L1 (r2 =0.03). At L3, the highest paddy yield was 6.78 t.ha-1 at ECa of 0.359 mS.m-1; whereas, the lowest (5.63 t.ha-1) was at ECa of 0.319 mS.m-1. ECa at L1, L2, and L3 was significantly related to paddy yield with a coefficient of determination value of 0.26. The variability maps of paddy yields would help in better management of paddy fields.