Evaluation of DualEM-II sensor for soil moisture content estimation in the potato fields of Atlantic Canada

Aitazaz A. Farooque, Mahnaz Zare, Farhat Abbas, Qamar Zaman, Melanie Bos, Travis Esau, Bishnu Acharya and Arnold W. Schumann
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Aitazaz A. Farooque: Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada
Mahnaz Zare: Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada
Farhat Abbas: Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada
Qamar Zaman: Department of Engineering, Agricultural Campus, Dalhousie University, Truro, Canada
Melanie Bos: Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada
Travis Esau: Department of Engineering, Agricultural Campus, Dalhousie University, Truro, Canada
Bishnu Acharya: Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada
Arnold W. Schumann: Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, USA

Plant, Soil and Environment, 2019, vol. 65, issue 6, 290-297

Abstract: The conventional gravimetric methods of estimating soil moisture content (θ) are laborious, time-consuming, and destructive to agricultural fields. We evaluated the performance of DualEM-II sensor in non-destructive way of θ prediction and for predicting θ variations within potato fields in Atlantic Canada. Values of θ were measured from four potato fields in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island using a pre-calibrated (R2 = 0.98) time domain reflectometry (TDR) from root zone of potato tubers under grid sampling arrangements. Horizontal co-planar (HCP) and perpendicular co-planar (PRP) readings were taken using DualEM-II sensor from the same locations of θ measurements. There was a better correlation between PRP and θ (r: 0.64-0.83) was calculated than between HCP and θ (r: 0.41-0.79). There was no significant difference (R2: 0.60-0.69; RMSE (root mean square error): 2.32-4.02) between the θ values measured with TDR (θM) and those predicted with DualEM-II (θP) confirming that the use of electromagnetic induction technique, evaluated during this study, is labor saving, quick, non-destructive, and accurate and can be considered a precision agriculture tool for efficiently managing soil water in potato fields.

Keywords: irrigation management; monitoring water stress; precision farming; soil variability; tuberous crop (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:65:y:2019:i:6:id:72-2019-pse

DOI: 10.17221/72/2019-PSE

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