Veris - Model Soil EC -Soil Electrical Conductivity Measurement

Mapping Soil EC and Texture will enable you to manage around these major productivity factors:

• Water-holding capacity
• Nitrogen use and loss
• Rooting depth
• Drainage
• Cation-exchange capacity
• Action of soil-applied herbicides
• Nematode activity
• Loss of mobile nutrients 
• pH—buffering capacity

Water Holding Capacity

Droughty areas typically have distinct textural differences from those with excess water; these can be identified using EC. Soils in the middle range of conductivity, which are both medium-textured and have medium water-holding capacity, may be the most productive. Since water holding capacity typically has the single greatest effect on crop yield, this is likely the most valuable use of EC measurements...
University of Virginia

Nitrogen Use and Loss 

The potential for leaching is dependent on soil texture (percentage of sand, silt, and clay) and soil water content. Water moves more quickly through large pore spaces in a sandy soil than it does through small pores in a clayey soil and water holding capacity is much lower in sandy soils, making them especially vulnerable. Soils that have poor drainage and are ponded or saturated with water causes denitrification to occur resulting in loss of N as a gas which can result in emission of potent greenhouse gases, yield reduction and increased N fertilizer expense. U.S. Department of Agriculture

Rooting Depth

Compared with a soil with deeper topsoil thickness, a shallow topsoil has less plant-available water capacity, greater clay accumulation, and poor soil structure within this horizon that restricts root penetration and is lower in soil organic matter, fertility and early season oxygen levels conducive for root growth. Therefore, topsoil thickness is a measure of effective rooting zone for crop plants. Thus, EC as a measure of claypan soil topsoil thickness reflects root-zone suitability for crop growth.
University of Missouri

Drainage 

Soil EC, terrain slope, and distance to a drainage way were significant predictors of the soil drainage class. When these variables were used as additional information in predicting soil drainage they slightly improved overall prediction accuracy, compared with the soil survey map.
Soil Science Society

Cation Exchange Capacity 

Low CEC soils are more likely to develop potassium and magnesium (and other cation) deficiencies, while high CEC soils are less susceptible to leaching losses of these cations. So, for sandy soils, a large one-time addition of cations e.g. potassium can lead to large leaching losses (soil isn’t able to hold on to the excess K). More frequent additions of smaller amounts are better. o The lower the CEC, the faster the soil pH will decrease with time. So, sandy soils need to be limed more often than clay soils. The higher the CEC, the larger the quantity of lime that must be added to increase the soil pH; sandy soils need less lime than clay soils to increase the pH to desired levels. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) is a measurement that correlates with CEC), 
Cornell University and University of Virginia

Soil Applied Herbicide

Soil variability, an important factor in treating weed-infested fields, can be gauged by measuring different soils` electrical conductivity. A soil`s EC assesses how easily it allows a current to pass through it. Soils with a higher EC generally have more clay and organic matter and require more herbicide. Farmers can use EC to create herbicide application maps, allowing them to adjust application rates based on variations within the soil. This, in turn, reduces the risk of excessive herbicide leaching while maintaining effectiveness.
USDA Agriculture Research Service

Nematodes

Growers can reduce their input costs and increase the return on their investment by utilizing site-specific applications of TELONE II.
This form of precision agriculture utilizes Veris EC technologies to measure the soil electrical conductivity in the field. The results indicate the sandiness of the soil in certain locations, which producers can use to determine where nematodes will most likely be a problem. Applications of TELONE II can then be made more precisely. Producers applying TELONE II using site-specific technology can experience substantial savings. Applying TELONE II at 3 gallons per acre under 60 percent of 1,000 acres —instead of uniformly across an entire field — can reduce input costs by nearly $20,000. 
Dow Agrosciences

Fertility

Mobile nutrients are used, lost, and stored differently as soil texture varies. Yield potential of sandy soils generally is less than clay soils; therefore, crop inputs should be based on economical returns. 
International Plant Nutrition Institute

pH Buffering Capacity

Measuring soil pH is an important step in assessing the chemical status of a soil and in remediating high and low soil pH situations. Soil pH measurements on a spatial scale are limited by labor and lab analysis costs. A pH sensor mounted on a mobile sensing platform may be able to reduce these costs while providing a high-resolution soil pH map. Results suggest that real-time pH sensors on a mobile platform can be used to measure spatial pH and buffer pH and provide subsequent variable-rate lime recommendations. The inclusion of soil electrical conductivity (EC) can be a way to improve pH predictions.