Spatial variability of bulk soil electrical conductivity in a Malaysian paddy field: key to soil management

On-the-go EC sensor is a useful tool in mapping the apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) to identify areas of contrasting soil properties. In non-saline soils, ECa is a substitute measurement for soil texture. It is directly related to both water holding capacity and cation exchange capacity (CEC), which are key ingredients of productivity. This sensor measures the ECa across a field quickly and gives detailed soil features (1-s interval) with few operators. Hence, a dense sampling is possible and therefore a high resolution ECa map can be produced. This paper presents experiences in acquiring detailed ECa information that is correlated to other soil properties for precision farming of rice. The study was conducted on a 9 ha rice plot in MARDI Seberang Prai Station, Penang. The VerisEC3100 was pulled across the field in a series of parallel transects spaced about 15 m apart. The study showed that shallow and deep ECa had high correlation and shallow ECa had significant correlation to P. Deep ECa had significant correlation to P, K and yield. Regression equations showed that N and P could be estimated by shallow ECa but, pH, K and yield were better estimated by deep ECa. This study was able to draw some basic ideas of nutrient zone management according to precision farming technique.