An electromagnetic (EM) soil conductivity Survey maps the variability in soils characteristics; these values are strongly influenced by many factors but mainly soil texture, soil moisture at the time of the survey as well as bulk density and salinity.
Combining this data with topography data collected at the time of the survey gives the farmer a powerful management tool for creating management zones for various aspects of his business, including amongst other things; managing water, zonal soil sampling, improving yield and pasture performance where soil characteristics are the limiting factors, managing inputs to targeted placement, highlighting and reducing the environmental impacts or risks.
AgriOptics has been conducting EM surveys since 2011, with various clients and in many differing scenarios and enterprises, covering over 20,000ha in that time.
This presentation explained what an EM survey is and what information the farmer receives from the service and how the different layers of data from that survey are being utilised by farmers in the South Island with both its direct and indirect uses, and how that translates into a dollar value to those clients. Examples of both dairy and arable farmers each with not only common goals but their own specific issues and requirements were given.