Izazi zezolimo namahlathi kanye nososayensi benhlabathi balungiselela abalimi izindlela ezingcono kakhulu zokubasiza benze izinqumo ezinolwazi mayelana nokuphatha amasimu nezitshalo zabo. U-Rintaro Kinoshita kanye nethimba labacwaningi banqume ukuthi ithuluzi elifana ne-"Apparent Electrical Conductivity (ECa) Sensor" linganikeza ulwazi olubalulekile mayelana namasimu ezolimo, kubika iwebhusayithi esemthethweni ye-American Society of Agronomy.
UKinoshita ungumsizi kaprofesa e-Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, eJapane, kodwa wenza lolu cwaningo ngenkathi ese-Cornell University, e-USA.
Ucwaningo yashicilelwa ku-Agronomy Journal, okushicilelwe yi-American Society of Agronomy.
Yebo, inhlabathi nezici zayo ziphakathi kwezinto ezibaluleke kakhulu zokulima. Ukushintshashintsha kwendawo ekuvuneni kwezitshalo kuncike kakhulu ezintweni ezintathu: i-topography, inhlabathi, kanye nezinambuzane/izifo.
Abalimi bavame ukuthembela ekuhlolweni kwenhlabathi ukuze baqonde izakhiwo zomhlabathi, kodwa kuthatha isikhathi futhi kuyabiza. U-Kinoshita kanye nethimba basebenzise ubuchwepheshe bezinzwa obubavumela ukuthi baqoqe ukwaziswa okuhlukahlukene kwezitshalo nomhlabathi ngaphandle kokumba inhlabathi. Lezi zinzwa zingathwalwa nezinto zezolimo ezifana nogandaganda futhi zinikeze ulwazi olubalulekile. Ukulinganisa ulwazi, abacwaningi baqhathanisa idatha evela kuzinzwa zabo nemiphumela yokuhlaziywa kwamasampula enhlabathi.
Ucwaningo lwenziwe endaweni yezifunda zaseMaryland kanye neDelaware (izifunda ze-Coastal Lowland kanye ne-Piedmont Plateau). Ithimba lihlole izinkambu zombila ezingu-26 ezindaweni ezimbili ezihlukene zejografi nezengqikithi.
Inzwa ye-electric conductivity (ECa) ibonakale iphumelela kakhulu ekuhloleni izakhiwo zomhlabathi uma kuqhathaniswa namasampula omhlabathi athathiwe. Lezi zinzwa zazikwazi ukubikezela ukwakheka kwenhlabathi, ikakhulukazi ekujuleni okuhlukene, kanye nokuqukethwe kwamanzi atholakalayo. Njengoba amanzi kuwukuphela kwesigaba sokuhambisa, ukukalwa kwezakhiwo zenhlabathi ezithinta ukutholakala kwamanzi kungabikezelwa kusetshenziswa i-ECa. Izilinganiso ezihlobene nomswakama wenhlabathi kanye nesivuno sombila, okuwulwazi olubalulekile kubalimi.
Ithimba liphinde lahlola obunye ubuchwepheshe, kodwa imiphumela ayizange iphelele njengenzwa ye-conductivity ebonakalayo. Inzuzo yokuthwebula idatha yokulinganisa ngezinzwa ukuthi kwenziwa ngokushesha okukhulu, ngokuvamile kuthatha amahora angu-1-2 kuwo wonke amahektha angamashumi amahlanu. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukuhlola ingqikithi yomhlabathi kungathatha amasonto noma ngezinye izikhathi izinyanga, kuye ngezakhiwo zenhlabathi.
U-Kinoshita uchaza ukuthi ukuze ulawule kangcono izitshalo, kubalulekile ukuqala ukunaka kakhulu izingqimba ezijulile zenhlabathi, futhi inzwa ye-ECa ingasiza kakhulu kulokhu.
Lolu cwaningo lusekelwe nguWillard Agri-Service kaFrederick, Inc. isekelwa yi-Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-Obihiro University iyasebenzisana ngaphakathi i-virtual agronomic knowledge exchange programme neNyuvesi yaseWisconsin-Madison. Zombili isifunda sase-Obihiro e-Japan kanye ne-Wisconsin e-United States zitshala izitshalo ezifanayo: amazambane nobhontshisi wesoya. Lolu hlelo lugxile ezinhlelweni zokudla kanye nesayensi yomhlabathi.