• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.157-164
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• 2021

Smart agriculture requires sensing systems which are fundamental for precision agriculture. Adequate and appropriate water and nutrient supply not only improves crop productivity but also benefit to environment. However, there is no available soil sensor to continuously monitor nutrient status in soil. Electrical conductivity (EC) of soil is affected by ion contents in soil and can be used to evaluate nutrient contents in soil. Comparison of various commercial EC sensors showed similar water content and EC values at water content less than 20%. Soil EC values measured by sensors decreased with decreasing soil water content and linearly correlated with soil water content. EC values measured by soil sensor were highly correlated with water soluble nutrient contents such as Ca, K, Mg and N in soil indicating that the soil EC sensor can be used for monitoring changes in plant available nutrients in soil.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.328-335
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• 2023

For appropriate nutrient management and enhanced plant growth, soil sensors which reflect soil nutrient levels are required. Because there is no available sensor for nutrient monitoring, electrical conductivity (EC) sensor can be used to evaluate soil nutrient levels. Soil nutrient management using EC sensors would be possible by understanding the relationship between sensor EC values and soil temperature, moisture, and nutrient content. However, the relationship between soil sensor EC values and plant available nutrients was not investigated. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to evaluate effect of different amount of urea on soil EC monitored by sensors during pepper and broccoli cultivation and to predict the plant available nutrient contents in soil. During the cultivation period, soil was collected periodically for analyzing pH and EC, and the available nutrient contents. The sensor EC value increased as the moisture content increased, and low fertilizer treated soil showed the lowest EC value. Principal component analysis was performed to determine the relationship between sensor EC and available nutrients in soil. Sensor EC showed a strong positive correlation with nitrate nitrogen and available Ca. In addition, sum of available nutrients such as Ca, Mg, K, P, S and N was positively related to the sensor EC values. Therefore, EC sensors in open field can be used to predict plant available nutrient levels for proper management of the soil.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2019

BACKGROUND: Measurement of electrical conductivity of saturated soil paste ($EC_e$) for assessment of soil salinity is time-consuming, and thus conversion of EC of 1:5 soil-water extract ($EC_{1:5}$) to $EC_e$ using a dilution factor may be of help to monitor salinity of huge number of soil samples. This study was conducted to evaluate the dilution factor for reclaimed tideland (RTL) soils of South Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: Soil samples (n=40) were collected from four RTLs, and analyzed for $EC_{1:5}$, $EC_e$, and cation compositions of 1:5 soil-water extract. The dilution factor (8.70) was estimated by regression analysis between $EC_{1:5}$ and $EC_e$, and the obtained dilution factor was validated by applying to an independent data set (n=96) of $EC_{1:5}$ and $EC_e$. The $EC_e$ measured and predicted was strongly correlated ($r^2=0.74$, P<0.001), but $EC_e$ was overestimated by 16% particularly for the soils with high clay content and low sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that using the dilution factor to convert $EC_{1:5}$ to $EC_e$ is feasible method to monitor changes in the soil salinity of the study RTL. However, overestimation of $EC_e$ should be cautioned for the soils with high clay content and low SAR.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.398-404
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• 2000

We examined the effect of soil:water ratio on the equivalent concentration of individual electrolyte species and the electrical conductivities (EC) of the diluted extracts of 24 soil samples (loam or silt loam) collected from rose-cultivated plastic houses to estimate the EC of saturated soil-paste extracts (ECe) from diluted soil extracts. With increasing volume ratio of water (higher dilution), the equivalent concentrations of each electrolyte species and their sum increased. The relative contribution to the EC, however, was highest for $NO_3{^-}$, irrespective of soil:water ratio. The measured ECe was 6.36 for loam and $8.09dS\;m^{-1}$ for silt loam soils and the corresponding soil:water ratio was 0.38 and 0.50, respectively. The EC_e estimated from the EC of diluted extracts at 1:1, 1:2, or 1:5 soil:water ratios using their corresponding uniform diluted factors was lower than the measured EC_e and this difference was greater with higher dilution and EC values. Therefore, the alternative diluted factors (y) for each soil: water ratio were obtained following the definition of diluted factor and were correlated significantly with volume ratios of added water (x): y=1.55x+0.5 for loam and y=1.21x+0.48 for silt loam soils. On the other hand, correlation analyses of the EC of soil extracts (y) to the volume ratio of added water (x) on log-log scale yielded linear models: logy = -0.805logx + logb, SD of slope=0.05, b=sample specific constant, n=24). With known saturation percentage of a sample representing a group and and the EC of diluted extract of a given soil, the EC_e could be predicted using the proposed logarithmic equation.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.42 no.spc
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• pp.45-46
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• 2009

This study was carried out to identify the changes of EC during desalinization due to flooding in newly reclaimed saline soil. To do this, experimental plots were made of rotary tillage+water exchanging plot, flooding plot and rainfall flooding plot. In rotary tillage+water exchanging plot, drainage, rotary tillage and flooding were conducted at the interval of 7 days. In rotary tillage+water exchanging plot and flooding plot, plots were irrigated at the height of 10 cm. After 38 days desalinization, changes of EC values at top soil (0~20 cm) were as follows. In rotary tillage+water exchanging plot, EC decreased from $21.38dS\;m^{-1}$ to $2.16dS\;m^{-1}$ and in flooding plot, EC decreased from $13.97dS\;m^{-1}$ to $2.22dS\;m^{-1}$. In rotary tillage+water exchanging plot and flooding plot, EC values decreased below the EC criterion ($4.0dS\;m^{-1}$) of saline soil. In rainfall flooding plot, EC values decreased or increased according to amounts of rainfall and rainfall time. After 38 days, EC decreased from $16.7dS\;m^{-1}$ to $12.35dS\;m^{-1}$. In flooding plot, changes of EC due to soil depth were investigated. After 38 days desalinization, changes of EC due to soil depth were as follows. At 0~10 cm depth, EC value decreased from $13.08dS\;m^{-1}$ to $0.74dS\;m^{-1}$ (94.3% of salt was desalinized). At 10~20 cm depth, EC value decreased from $14.80dS\;m^{-1}$ to $3.69dS\;m^{-1}$ (75.2% of salt was desalinized). At 20~30 cm depth, soil was desalinized slowly compared with upper soil, EC value decreased from $13.57dS\;m^{-1}$ to $6.93dS\;m^{-1}$ (48.9% of salt was desalinized).

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.360-364
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• 1996

Study on germination ratio and growth of lettuce affected by accumulated salt in vinyl house cultivation soils was investigated by pot test with EC 1.65. 3.50, 5.75. 7.15. 9.50 and 13.57 dS/m. (Germination rate of lettuce in different electric conductivity of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 dS/m controlled with KCl were 96.7, 96.7, 87.8, 82.2, 52.2, and 27.8 % respectively. Standing ratio of lettuce in soil below 6 dS/m was more than 60% and in soils of 7.15, 9.50 and 13.57 dS/m they were 45, 32 and 31%, respectively. Growth and fresh weight of lettuces increased significantly in a low EC content soil. The fresh weight of lettuces in the soil of EC 3.50 dS/m was higher than that of the soil EC 1.65 dS/m by 22%, while another soils(EC: 5.75, 7.15, 9.50 and 13.57 dS/m) were decreased 3, 15, 60 and 62%, respectively. Relationship between soil EC and standing ratio of lettuce showed high correlation coefficient($r=-0.9057^{**}$). Therefore, in the field of vinyl houses concentrated salt, standing ratio of lettuce can be foreseen by soil EC [Y = -4.313x+ 82.95 (Y:standing ratio, x:soil EC)], also standing ratio and fresh weight of lettuce showed high correlation coefficient($r=0.8396^{**}$).

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2003

Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is a newly developed method for measuring simultaneously solute concentrations and volumetric water content of soil. Bulk electrical conductivity ($EC_a$) of soil is obtained from TDR signal using several equations proposed, and electrical conductivity of soil solution ($EC_w$) can be calculated using the linear relationship $EC_a=EC_w\theta(a\theta+b)+EC_s$ between $EC_a$ and $EC_w$ at constant soil water content. The objectives of this study were to evaluate $EC_a$ proposed by several workers and to obtain the empirical constants (a, b, and $EC_s$) for $EC_w$ of the soils from A, Bl, and B2 horizon of an agricultural field (Coarse loamy, Fluvaquentic Eutrudepts). The $EC_a$ proposed by Yanuka et al. responded most sensitively to the KCl solute concentrations. The empirical constants of a, b, and $EC_s$ for $EC_w$ were -0.249, 1.358, and 0.054 for A horizon, -2.518, 2.708, and 0.097 for Bl horizon, and 2.490, -0.250, and 0.103 for B2 horizon, respectively. Therefore, the results of this study showed that Yanuka et al. equation was most useful one in determining $EC_a$, from TDR signal for agricultural soil with low salinity and that the empirical constants for the calculation of $EC_w$, from $EC_a$ can be obtained through a simple calibration experiment.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.396-402
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• 1996

This study was conducted to determine the effect of treatment with the plant-growth-promoting bacteria on the growth and yield of red pepper(Capsicum annuum L.) with different soil electrical conductivity(EC) levels. The mixed liquid culture was done pseudomonas P and saboraud dextrose medium. The isolated bacteria(IB) were inoculated by spray of 3.7ml at 1/2000a pot filled with different soil electrical conductivity level(2.9, 8.6, 11.5dS/m) every week, respectively, with mixed liquid culture (Pseudomonas P+Sabouraud dextrose) of eight strains. The plant height of red pepper with IBs treatment in different soil EC levels showed better growth than IBs nontreatment in the order of the 2.9>8.6>11.5 dS/m. The yield of pepper with IBs treatment in different soil EC level was higher in 13% than IBs nontreatment and chemical properties($P_2O_5$, K, Ca, Mg) of the soil after harvest in IBs treatment were slightly increased, while organic matter and EC of IBs treatment were slightly decreased than those of IBs nontreatment. Moisture content of the soil after the harvesting with IBs treatment was slightly increased than IBs nontreatment.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.130-137
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• 2023

Smart farms, which have been receiving attention as a solution to recent rural problems, refer to technologies that optimize the growing environment of crops and increase the productivity and quality of crops through efficient management. If the relationships between environmental data in smart farms are analyzed, additional productivity enhancement and crop management will be possible. In this paper, we propose a method for acquiring and analyzing nine environmental data, including temperature, humidity, CO2, soil temperature, soil moisture, insolation, soil EC, EC, and pH. Data acquisition is done through RS-485 communication between the main board and the sensor board and stored in the database after acquisition. The stored data is downloaded in Excel sheet format and analyzed through histograms, data charts, and correlation heatmaps. First, we analyze the distribution of total, day, and night data through histogram analysis, and identifiy the average, median, minimum, and maximum values by month through data chart analysis separating day and night to see how the data changes by month. Finally, we analyze the correlation of the data through a correlation heatmap analysis separating day and night. The results show a very strong positive correlation between temperature and soil temperature and soil EC and EC during the day, and a very strong positive correlation between temperature and soil temperature and soil EC and EC at night, and a strong negative correlation between temperature and soil EC.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.405-408
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• 2002

The electrical conductivity, EC is a major indicator of soil salinity. Measuring EC of saturation-paste extract of soil, ECe, is the standard way to evaluate soil salinity. However much of the data on soil salinity have been obtained by measuring the EC of the 1:5 soil-to-water extract, EC(1:5) or salts contents(%) which multiplied by conversion factor. And, thus we attempted to collect and analysis 90 soil samples at 9 reclaimed tidelands in Korea and to derive a relationship between ECe and dilution factor at ECe and EC(1:5), $DF_{1:5}$ of 3 soil textural conditions and 6 salinity conditions. Regression equations between ECe and $DF_{1:5}$ were obtained $ECe=1.4701ln(DF_{1:5})+5.0974(r^2=0.97^{**})$ in case of more than 50% silt contents, $ECe=2.1399ln(DF_{1:5})+5.3462 (r^2=0.99^{***})$ in case of below 50% silt contents, and $ECe=1.5927ln(DF_{1:5})+5.2486 (r^2=0.98^{***})$ in all cases, and then we suggested the $DF_{1:5}\;and\;DF_%$ of 3 soil textural conditions and 6 salinity conditions.