Through the AgriLAC Resiliente initiative, plot diagnostics are being conducted in Honduras as part of a process to define the best practices and technologies to be implemented with local producers.
Guest Contribution by CIMMYT Communication
Electrical conductivity is an important parameter that provides information to determine soil conditions and crop quality. This measure quantifies a soil’s ability to conduct electrical current and is expressed in decisiemens per meter (ds/m). The relationship between electrical conductivity and soil salt content is highly relevant in agriculture.
All agricultural lands contain certain amounts of salts, which are essential for plant development. However, an excess of salts can be detrimental, inhibiting crop growth.
As an indicator of soil quality, electrical conductivity is vital in an agronomic context and can provide valuable information about soil fertility and its ability to support crop growth.
Thus, measuring electrical conductivity is essential as it reveals the soil’s capacity to conduct electrical current, directly reflecting the amount of soluble salts present in the soil solution. Higher electrical conductivity values indicate a greater concentration of salts, which can be harmful to crops.
Electrical conductivity values are interpreted as follows:
- Less than 2 ds/m: Ideal soil for the production of various crops.
- Between 2 and 4 ds/m: Slightly saline soil, which may affect the yield of certain sensitive crops.
- Between 4 and 6 ds/m: Moderately saline soil, with adverse effects on most crops.
- Between 6 and 8 ds/m: Saline soil, where the yield of most crops is affected.
- Between 8 and 12 ds/m: Very saline soil, difficult to exploit under these conditions and requires a washing treatment.
- 12 ds/m or more: Extremely saline soil, where crop growth is practically impossible without washing using low-salt water.
As part of the AgriLAC Resiliente initiative, the Regional Association of Agricultural Services in the East (Arsagro) has implemented plot diagnostics in the El Paraíso department, Honduras. These diagnostics include measuring soil electrical conductivity and are part of the training provided to technicians working in the initiative. Each technician serves 20 producers in 25 communities across four municipalities. This measurement is essential for defining effective and sustainable agricultural strategies.
Edy Rafael López, a technician from the InnovaHub East of Honduras, established under the AgriLAC Resiliente framework, emphasizes the importance of this training: “Technicians have been trained in the use of essential equipment for plot diagnostics, including pH meters, penetrometers, equipment for measuring water infiltration, percentage coverage measurement, and electrical conductivity meters.”
Accurate measurement of electrical conductivity is a crucial step in promoting more sustainable and resilient agriculture, and thanks to these initiatives, Honduras is progressing towards a healthier and more productive agricultural future.
AgriLAC Resiliente is an initiative by CGIAR—a consortium of international research centers, including CIAT, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Potato Center (CIP) from Peru, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) from Mexico, among others—to transform agri-food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its goal is to increase the resilience, ecosystem services, and competitiveness of these systems in the region.