Electrical Conductivity Measurements in Agriculture: The Assessment of Soil Salinity

Soil salinity is an important issue constraining the productivity of irrigation agriculture around the world. The standard method for soil salinity assessment is based on a laboratory method that is cumbersome and gives rise to limitations for data-intensive works. The use of sensors for the asse...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Visconti, Fernando, De-Paz, José M.
Other Authors: Cocco, Luigi
Format: bookPart
Language:Inglés
Published: IntechOpen 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/6738
https://www.intechopen.com/books/new-trends-and-developments-in-metrology/electrical-conductivity-measurements-in-agriculture-the-assessment-of-soil-salinity
Description
Summary:Soil salinity is an important issue constraining the productivity of irrigation agriculture around the world. The standard method for soil salinity assessment is based on a laboratory method that is cumbersome and gives rise to limitations for data-intensive works. The use of sensors for the assessment of the apparent electrical conductivity (EC) of soils offers a way to overcome these constraints. These sensors are based on three electromagnetic phenomena, namely, electrical resistivity, electromagnetic induction, and reflectometry. Each class of sensors presents its own advantages and drawbacks. In the following chapter, these are presented along with the most popular commercial EC sensors used in nowadays agriculture, equations for the assessment of soil salinity on basis sensor measurements, some examples of application, and present and future development trends.