Al. Steinwand et al., AN EVALUATION OF SOIL SURVEY CROP YIELD INTERPRETATIONS FOR 2 CENTRALIOWA FARMS, Journal of soil and water conservation, 51(1), 1996, pp. 66-71
Citations number
31
Categorie Soggetti
Water Resources",Ecology,"Agriculture Soil Science
This study was conducted on four adjacent 16-ha (40-ac)fields within t
he Clarion-Nicollet-Webster soil association to (1) determine if crop
yield interpretations derived from 1:15840 soil survey maps could be u
sed for developing field-scale management plans; and (2) to determine
if soils in adjacent fields were sufficiently similar to not confound
farming system comparisons. Expected crop yields were derived using a
computer-based Soil information System (SIS) and compared with measure
d yields. Soil map units in all four fields were taxonomically variabl
e, but this did not affect expected crop yields. Average expected and
measured corn and soybean yield agreed within 9 and 12% for convention
al management at the field-scale. We conclude that yield interpretatio
ns from county soil surveys ran be used to develop field-scale plans f
or central Iowa farms, and that taxonomic soil differences would not c
onfound comparisons of conventional and alternative farming practices
in these fields.