Soil Sensing Mapping on Paddy Fields in South Korea

Among the soil properties, soil hardness and electrical conductivity are known as monitoring factors to evaluate root physical environment, soil salinity, and nitrogen use efficiency. Soil hardness measurements can be used to predict and evaluate conditions that affect root water uptake along with the ability to support crops, and measurement of EC can predict and assess soil salinity. The use of sensors capable of real-time measurements in the field reduces time and economic losses and can identify accurate soil characteristics. The purpose of this study is to measure the hardness and EC of Korean rice paddy soil and to create a soil map. A rice field in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, was selected for measurement. The soil hardness and EC were measured in 30 zones within the field, and a paddy soil sensor map was created using spatial statistical techniques based on the measured data. The average and standard deviation of EC was 1.88/0.14, 2.13/0.12, and 2.37/0.23 ds/m at 15, 30, and 40 cm, respectively, and the average and standard deviation of CI was 1184.83/354.10, 764.79/183.87, and 594.74/171.94 MPa at 15, 30, and 40 cm, respectively.