AN EMPIRICAL METHOD OF ESTIMATING SOIL TEMPERATURE ON CROPPED LAND ON CANADIAN PRAIRIES

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Abstract
A simple empirical regression and correlation approach was used to relate soil temperatures under cereal and fallow cropping systems to air temperature and to soil temperature at corresponding depths under grass plots at Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Relationships for the top 22.5 cm of soil were developed for the growing season and for the whole year. Relationships between soil and air temperature were good near the soil surface, but deteriorated with depth even though highly significant r2 values were obtained. The best relationships were obtained between soil temperatures under the cereal system and temperatures under grass (r2 > 0.8 for growing season and > 0.9 for whole year). The relationships between mean daily temperatures under cereals (y) and those under grass at corresponding depths (x) were generally represented by y = x. The best Swift Current relationships for the growing season were used successfully (r2 .simeq. 0.9) to predict data for different years at Swift Current and Scott, Saskatchewan and at Lethbridge, Alberta. The error in prediction at the 10-cm depth was, on the average, 1-3.degree. C and at the 20-cm depth, 0-4.degree. C. The relationship developed will be more accurate in drier regions such as the southern prairies.

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