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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 46(3)

Assessment of spatial variability of penetration resistance and hardpan characteristics in a cassava field

Osama Mohawesh A D , Tomoyasu Ishida B , Kazunari Fukumura B and Kunihiko Yoshino C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Plant Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Mu’tah University, Al-Karak 61710, Jordan.

B Faculty of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University, Mine-machi 350, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321-8505, Japan.

C College of Policy and Planning Science, Tsukuba University, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.

D Corresponding author. Email: osama.mohawesh@gmail.com

Australian Journal of Soil Research 46(3) 210-218 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR07118
Submitted: 15 August 2007  Accepted: 20 February 2008   Published: 1 May 2008

Abstract

Soil compaction is generally defined as an increase of the natural density of soil at a particular depth. This compacted soil layer spatially varies over the field. Describing within-field variability is a fundamental first step towards determining the size of management zones. The purpose of the study was to explain the spatial variability of penetration resistance (PR) and hardpan characteristics. Soil PR, dry bulk density (BD), and water content (WC) were measured on the nodes of a mesh. Statistical and geostatistical analysis were used to analyse the spatial variability of PR at 5 depths: 0.0–0.1, 0.1–0.2, 0.2–0.3, 0.3–0.4, and 0.4–0.5 m, and hardpan characteristics. PR had the maximum variability among the measured properties. Hardpan lower edge depth varied from 0.297 to 0.714 m, having a mean and CV of 0.411 m and 20.43, respectively. PR was inversely related to WC. Correlation between BD and WC and PR for the same layer was relatively high. PR and hardpan characteristics showed spatial variability across the field, except PR at depth 0.1–0.2 m. Spherical isotropic models fitted all the measured properties. The range of values of the spatial structure was greater than 7.6 m. The results showed that hardpan and PR spatially varied across the field. These results are important in determining the necessary tillage technique as well as the tillage depth and the target compacted area for a suitable land management. These results also have important implications for how site-specific management information should be collected and explained.

Additional keywords: penetration resistance, spatial variability, hardpan, compaction.


Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Professor M. Kutilek from Nad Patankou, Czek Republic for his comments. Thanks to Dr S. Talozi from Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan for his help in the final editing of this paper.


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