Ralph L. AmateisVirginia Tech

Out of the Pits: Quantifying Soil Relations and Their Impact on

Growth

Pinus taeda in Piedmont of Virginia

Landscape Position Affecting Soil and Tree Growth

But there might be a way out of the pits:

Soil Electrical Conductivity!

Soil Electrical ConductivitySEC is the ability of soil to conduct an electrical current (milliSiemens m-1).

It is correlated with a number of soil properties that affect productivity, including soil texture, cation exchange capacity, drainage conditions, organic matter level, salinity, and even subsoil characteristics.

Soil EC maps often visually correspond to patterns on yield maps and can help explain yield variation

A Research Tool:

• Quantifying microsite variation!• Maybe a number of others!

SEC…A New Horizon?