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37030 - Colognola ai Colli (VR)
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© 2024
MONITORING OF SOIL VARIABILITY
Thanks to the various proprietary technologies and equipment used for agronomic field research, the technicians at Precision Testing Srl perform:
the monitoring of apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) with the geoelectric measurement system (TSM®), for an initial identification of different zones by soil type, compaction, etc.
the assessment of certain chemical-physical parameters of the soil on disturbed samples, taken from the different homogeneous areas with a hydraulic sampler. By integrating the results of the chemical-physical analyses with the TSM® maps, specific variability maps of texture and fertility are provided to the farm
the assessment of certain hydrological characteristics of soils (for the drafting of water balances) calculated after evaluating the bulk density, performed on undisturbed samples taken from the different homogeneous areas.
Technologies for soil characterization and mapping
TSM®
The TSM (TopSoil Mapper) uses electromagnetic induction to detect the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) of the soil. The use of this instrument allows Precision Testing professionals to define homogeneous areas within the monitored plots, whose knowledge guides the sampling of soil, both disturbed and undisturbed, at various depths, on which to carry out specific laboratory analyses.
Samplers
The
disturbed soil samples
, are collected by means of a
professional hydraulic sampler
, within the homogeneous zones defined with the TSM. The use of the sampler allows Precision Testing technicians to quickly collect a large and representative number of soil samples, at various depths, even in conditions that would make sampling with manual augers long and difficult.
The
undisturbed samples
,
are collected at various depths with a
manual auger
in order to obtain samples of known volume that maintain the structure and porosity typical of natural soil, in its original location.
Analytical characterization of soils
The disturbed soil samples are subjected to routine physico-chemical analyses (texture, pH, organic matter, EC, etc.) which, thanks to interpolation with geoelectric data (from TSM), allow for the creation of precise soil variability maps.
The undisturbed samples, after oven drying with forced ventilation, are used for the determination of the soil bulk density, a parameter necessary for calculating the soil hydrological constants (wilting point, field capacity) and for preparing the crop water balance.
© Precision Testing SRL 2024