A novel heat-pulse probe for measuring soil thermal conductivity: Field test under different tillage practices

Abstract

Accurate soil thermal conductivity (λ) measurements are needed in experimental agri-environmental research. This study design and build of new heat-pulse probe (HPP) based on transient state technology to measure λ. The HPP consists of three main components: an electronic control system, a measurement chamber, and sample rings. The performance of the new HPP for in-situ λ measurements is compared to estimates from measurable soil physical properties (pedotransfer function). Tests were conducted in clay loam and loam soils at three depths. λ measurements by the HPP were affected by tillage practice, fertilizer treatment, soil depth, and soil type. No significant differences in λ measurements by the HPP and estimates from a pedotransfer function were found between tillage practices. There were positive correlations between their values at three soil depths: R2 = 0.92 at 0–5 cm depth, and R2 = 0.88 at both 5–10 and 10–15 cm depths. The standard deviation from the HPP measurements were 0.061, 0.077, and 0.080 W·m−1·K−1 at 0–5, 5–10, and 10–15 cm depths, respectively. In contrast, the pedotransfer function estimates had standard deviations of 0.085, 0.660, and 0.083 W·m−1·K−1, respectively. It was found that conventional tillage increases temperature flow in soils compared to no-tillage because of decreasing soil bulk density (ρb) and consequently higher porosity. The proposed HPP is a low-cost and energy-efficient device, with wide applicability under a range of conditions. It is highly recommended for measuring λ clay loam and loam soils; however, more research is needed to determine its value with other soil types.