Reviewed 06/2015; Originally published: 02/2001 / 2 pp. / According to all available evidence, there are 20 total nutrients necessary for complete plant growth and development. Not all are required for all plants, but all have been found to be essential to some.

Reviewed 06/2015; Originally published: 02/2001 / 5 pp. / In this article we will discuss various aspects of soil evaluation including physical examination, soil sampling and analysis, and soil test interpretation. We will also discuss how these approaches to soil evaluation can be incorporated into both short- and long-term management plans.

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2 pp. / This sheet contains the mailing information for the labs that conduct soil, plant, feed or water testing.

Literatūros šaltiniuose pastaruoju metu teigiama, kad siekiant pasiekti optimaliausią derliaus kiekį žemės ūkyje yra naudojama labai dideli kiekiai ir įvairumas trąšų ir kad taip yra alinamas dirvožemio ariamasis sluoksnis. Todėl magistro darbe iškeltas tikslas yra įvertinti tręšimo įtaką dirvožemio taršai bei trąšų efektyvumą kultūrų prieaugiui agrocenozėse, išanalizuojant žemės ūkio normatyvus. / Literary sources have been stating recently that in order to achieve an optimum harvest quantity huge amounts of fertilisers and their variety are used in agriculture and thus the arable layer of the soil is impoverished. As a result, the objective set in the Master‘s Thesis is to evaluate the influence of fertilisation on contamination of the soil and fertiliser efficiency in respect of crop growth in agrocenoses by performing the analysis of the agricultural norms.

The potential of proximal soil sensing methods for high resolution investigation of soils in the landscape has been investigated. This addresses the need for improved environmental monitoring and management of soils within their environs. On-the-go electromagnetic (EM) mapping has been used to map soils, providing a high resolution (< 10m) spatially defined soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) datalayer. Vis-NIR field spectroscopy has been trialled for in situ analysis of soil carbon, nitrogen and moisture. The portable spectroradiometer has been used at 6 sites in the Taupo-Rotorua region for rapid, field analysis of soil carbon (R2 calibration = 0.95, R2 prediction = 0.75,) soil nitrogen (R2 calibration = 0.95, R2 prediction = 0.86) and moisture (R2 calibration = 0.96, R2 prediction = 0.70) by collecting reflectance spectra from the flat surface of a soil core; and at one Manawatu site for soil moisture (R2 calibration = 0.79, R2 prediction = 0.71), where the reflectance spectra were collected directly from a freshly cut in situ soil surface. EM mapping and Vis-NIR field spectroscopy were used in combination to spatially characterize soil moisture patterns at the Manawatu site. Soil available water-holding capacity (AWC) of ECa-defined zones has been assessed at six irrigated production farming sites. Two methods (predicted AWC v ECa; estimated AWC v ECa) have been used to relate soil ECa to soil AWC to predict spatial AWC (R2 = 0.8 at 5 sites). Site-specific soil water balance models have been developed at all sites; and a wireless real-time soil moisture monitoring network has been trialled at two sites, to be used with the ECa-AWC prediction model for the development of daily soil water status maps, for variable rate irrigation (VRI) scheduling. This digital, spatially defined soil water status information is available for upload to a sprinkler system modified for variable rate application. The calculated water savings with VRI were 926% with equivalent energy savings and improved irrigation water use efficiency. Drainage and runoff were reduced by 055% during the period of irrigation, with the accompanying reduced risk of nitrogen leaching. The reduction in virtual water content of product has also been assessed for VRI and compared with uniform rate irrigation (URI) at three study sites. This study suggests that these proximal sensing methods provide a new improved way of monitoring and mapping soils. This facilitates soil inventory mapping, for example soil moisture and carbon mapping. In addition, these high resolution environmental monitoring and mapping techniques provide the information required for optimizing site-specific management of natural resources at the farm scale. On-the-go electromagnetic (EM) mapping has enabled a step change in the pedological investigation of New Zealand soils. Resulting soil ECa maps provide a tool for improving traditional soil map boundaries because they delineate soil zones primarily on a basis of soil texture and moisture in non-saline soils. In this study the maps have been used for site-specific irrigation management at the farm-scale, aiming to increase the energy efficiency of this land management operation. The study has developed a method for improved use of freshwaters by more accurate irrigation scheduling, based on high resolution characterization of spatial and temporal soil differences.

Master of Agribusiness / Agricultural Economics / Terry Griffin / Agricultural runoff containing phosphorus is believed to be a major contributor of algae blooms in the Western Lake Erie Basin. However, the implementation of best management practices (BMPs) can be used to help reduce the runoff of phosphorus. This research involved conducting surveys to analyze the current implementation of BMPs in Michigan and Indiana. The hypothesis is that the survey results are similar between the two states. An additional hypothesis is that the Michigan and Indiana results are similar to results from two other studies that were previously conducted. The results from this research generally support the hypothesis that a similar number of farmers in Michigan and Indiana are already implementing best management practices on their farms. In addition to the results being similar across Michigan and Indiana, there is also some evidence that shows that the results are similar to studies from the Ohio State University (LaBarge and Prochaska 2014), CropLife magazine (Erickson and Widmar 2015) and NRCS (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service 2016); however upon further investigation there are distinct differences before and after media mentions of ramifications from the Lake Erie algal blooms. While it is difficult to force farmers to implement BMPs, the results of this study may help to educate them, which may cause them to add these practices to their operations.

Newer multi-trait soybean varieties have resulted in greater yields, bringing into question whether current soil test K (STK) correlation, calibration, and recommendations need updating to maximize yield. The objective of this study was to refine soil test correlation and calibration using a range in residual STK levels and response in temporal leaf and seed K concentrations and yield across soybean maturity groups IV and V. For the 0- to 15-cm soil depth STK levels greater than 125 mg K kg-1, K did not limit yield. Critical tissue K varied between years and maturity group. Critical K at R1, R3, and R5 for group IV soybean were 13.5, 13.2, and 12.9 g K kg-1, respectively and 12.9, 12.6, and 10.9 g K kg-1 for group V, respectively. Maintaining optimal STK levels can help ensure profitable and sustainable soybean production in Mississippi.

La tesis presentada se enfoca en un estudio experimental que busca establecer correlaciones entre tres ensayos realizados en suelo cohesivo: Ensayo de Penetración Estándar (SPT), Corte Directo y Triaxial. Las pruebas se realizaron en un terreno de 3 hectáreas denominado AA.HH. Sol naciente, llegando hasta una profundidad de 3.50 metros debido a características geotécnicas del suelo. A continuación, llevaron a cabo un estudio sobre las propiedades físicas del suelo utilizando varias pruebas estándar, incluyendo granulometría, límites de Atterberg, contenido de humedad y gravedad específica. Con base en la recopilación de datos existentes y las correlaciones de los ensayos, que fueron un total de 7 pruebas de cada ensayo en el terreno, con la ayuda de equipos y operadores locales. El propósito final del estudio es proponer correlaciones entre los resultados obtenidos de los tres tipos de ensayos. Esta investigación proporciona un aporte significativo al campo de la geotecnia y la ingeniería civil, ya que los hallazgos podrían mejorar el entendimiento de las propiedades del suelo y permitir cálculos más precisos en cuanto a resistencia y comportamiento del suelo bajo diversas condiciones de carga y presión. En última instancia, estos resultados pueden aumentar la seguridad y estabilidad de las construcciones futuras en estos suelos, proporcionando un enfoque más sólidoy fiable para el análisis de suelos y la planificación de proyectos de construcción. / The presented thesis focuses on an experimental study aiming to establish correlations among three tests performed on cohesive soil: Standard Penetration Test (SPT), Direct Shear, and Triaxial. The tests were carried out on a 3-hectare land plot called AA.HH. Sol Naciente, reaching a depth of 3.50 meters due to the soil's geotechnical characteristics. Subsequently, they conducted a study on the soil's physical properties using various standard tests, including particle size distribution, Atterberg limits, moisture content, and specific gravity. Based on the existing data compilation and the tests' correlations, a total of 7 tests of each were performed on the field, with the assistance of local equipment and operators. The final purpose of the study is to propose correlations among the results obtained from the three types of tests. This research provides a significant contribution to the field of geotechnical and civil engineering, as the findings could enhance the understanding of soil properties and allow more precise calculations regarding soil strength and behavior under various load and pressure conditions. Ultimately,these results may increase the safety and stability of future constructions on these soils, providing a more robust and reliable approach for soil analysis and construction project planning.