Better placement of soil moisture point measurements guided by 2D resistivity tomography for improved irrigation scheduling
B. F. J. Kelly A B , R. I. Acworth A and A. K. Greve A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Connected Waters Initiative, The University of New South Wales, affiliated with the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: bryce.kelly@unsw.edu.au
Soil Research 49(6) 504-512 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR11145
Submitted: 16 March 2011 Accepted: 23 June 2011 Published: 25 August 2011
Abstract
Soil moisture beneath irrigated crops has traditionally been determined using point measurement methods such as neutron probes or capacitance systems. These approaches cannot measure soil moisture at depths beyond the root-zone of plants and have limited lateral coverage. It is shown that surface two-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) can be used to map the spatial heterogeneity in soil moisture throughout a field under irrigated cotton. The case study demonstrates that ERT provides a better understanding of the pathways of water migration, and provides spatial information on how water storage changes throughout the growing season. We conclude that ERT should be integrated into farm water management surveys to delineate zones of excessive water loss due to deep drainage and to improve the positioning of point measurement methods for measuring soil moisture, thereby improving irrigation scheduling.
Additional keywords: crops, resistivity imaging, vertosols, water.
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