Prediction of soil properties with field geo-electrical probes.

The need for more precisely located and measured soil data is increasing because of the importance of plant production and environmental threats affecting lands. There is a wide selection of field instruments available for fast assessment of soil properties. Our objectives were to test different instruments measuring soil electrical properties and to study their ability to predict soil physical and chemical properties. For predictions, multiple regression analyses were used. Prediction certainty was estimated using a jackknifing procedure. According to the results, soil electrical conductivity (EC) could be used as predictor of both soil physical and chemical properties, whereas bulk soil dielectric permittivity or soil water content could predict soil texture only. The determination coefficients between the estimated and measured values were 0.87–0.97 for EC and pH, 0.54–0.62 for humus and water contents, and 0.60–0.88 for texture. We concluded that the contemporary technical achievements provide remarka...