February 19651 105

SOIL TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR FIELD PLOTS'

Nlost soil-temperarure studies on plant growth and nutrient availability have
been conduct6d using temperaturL-con#olled water baths under greenhouse
conditions (2,4). Some studies have been carried out in the field using heating
cables to raise the soil temperature (5) and recentlY Campbell (1) has used_a
temperature-controlled nuirient solution system for srudying corn gror'vth.
The installation described here u,'as developdd to provide toil t.iop.t"tuies both
cooler and l,varmer than the seasonrl for smail--plot experimental studies in
the field.
The installation consists of fi.vo temperatu,re-controlled water circulatory
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systems for cooling and heatinq of the sbil. The water is cooled and heated
in a control rr." oihich is locaied in a protected buildinp" and then circulated
to the plot area. The control area contiins the chilling afrd heating equipment,
the holding water tanks, the thermostatic controls, and the pumps for each
respective system (Fig. 1).
The plot area, located on a uniform Grenr-ille loam (3), consists of two
repiicatesbf "cool", "seasonal", and "warm" tern:perature plots, each 12x27 ft.
Each tempe-rature plot is further subdivided into three moisture subplots, 12X9
ft. The plots are separated with plastic dividers to prevent lateral movement
of moistuie. A gr:id of j-in. copper pipes, 7 in. apart, was placed on the cool
and warm plots after the surface 6 in. of top soil was removed. The mixed
surface soil was replaced after the completion-of the installation. Header pipes
are located at the ends of each temperature-controlled plot to provide counter-
For personal use only.

flow of water for greater uniformiiy of temperatrrr" oi.t the length and width
of the plot. Balaicing valves witti pressur. g.og"r are located -on the return
line from each temoerature olot to facilitate uniform flou' rates. Thermistors
are placed on the ri.in .ir..ilation lines and within each moisture subplot in a
vertical plane midwav betu een the pipes at 4-. 8-, 76-, 2+-, and 32-in. depths.
The installation operated continuouslv throushout the summer of 1963 at
the Central Experimehtal Farm, Ottawa] and p"rovided
-The three different soil-
temperature conditions for a crop of barley-. 7.5-ton cornpressor had
^water
sufficient capacity to maintain the temperiture of the chilled neai
+7"!lt"F except during late afternoons on a few l'ery warm days when the
water temperature approached 50"F. The heating' equipment maintained the
w-ater temperatu-re near the set value of 90"F except on similar hot days when
the soil temperature above the pipes exceeded 90'F.
Variation in the temperature of the soil across the width and lenqth of the
plots rvas small. The vaiiation (standard deviation based on 22 measirements)
of the temperature across the width of the plots at the 4-in. depth above the
pipes.rvas 0.52'F on the cool plots and 0.66"F on the warm plots and the varia-
tion in temperature at similar depths on the seasonal plots was 0.39"F. The
change in water temperature after passing through the pipes was ( 0.5'F.
A distinct temperature differential between the cool, seasonal, and warm
plots was maintained at all times in the surface (4- and S-in. depths) of the cool

'Contribution No. 111, Soil Research Institute, Canada Department of Agriculture, Ottawa.
Can. J. Soil Sci. Vol.45 (r965)
 r06 CANADI,qN JOURNAI, OF SOIL SCIENCI] [Vol. 4i

A - Cooling Tower
B - Chiller -7.5 Tons (84,000 B.T,U.,/ hr.)
C - ctitteo Water Tank-1,000 U.S. gals
D- Rotary Pump-2 HP Moior(45 U S g.p m )
E - Thermostat Control
F- Warm Water Tank-300 U.S.gals,
G- Water Tank (lrrigation)
H - Heaters -4.5 Kw,575 V, 3 phase,
60o-250" F. thermostats
| - Power Panel
J - Pump (Condenser water)
K - lrrigation Pump
- Gate Valve and
L Pressure Gauge
M- flanhole
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N - Gate Valve
O- Header Pipes ( 1.5 inches)
P - Grid Pipes ( .5 inches )
For personal use only.

cooL
PLOT PLOT

L__
---)
! _ ____
REPLICATE 1 REPLICATE 2

Frc. 1, Schematic arrangement of tl-re cooling and heating systems.

and warm plots following the diurnal tempe-rature fluctuation of the seasonal
plots. Thd differential in temperature between the cool and seasonal- pLots was
greater during warm than during cool peliods and the differential between
ieasonal and izarm plots was gre;ter duiing cool than during warm Pedods.
An illustration of the soil tem"Deratures at ?iff.t.ttt depths dlrine a 2+-hour
period on the cool, seasonal. aird \varnl plots receiving the seasoial moisfure
is presented in Table 1. In general, each morning (8.30 a.m.) the soil tem-
pe;ature at the 8-in. depth (iin. below the pipesf was near +7!l+"F on the
cool'plots and 80 to 85oF on the \varm plots.
The installation maintained suitable soil temperature differentials through-
out the season on the same soil type for the grorviirg of uniform croPs of barliy.
It provides opportunities to snldy plant dEvelopfr..tt and nutrienl.uptake by
difierent crops under various soii moisture and temperature conditions in the
field.
 February 19651 107

Table 1. Temperature of soil profile for a 24-hour period (July 22-23,1963)*

Soil depth (in.)

'lemperature
plot and time l6 24 32

Cool
8:.30 a.m. 58.2 48. 1 52.8 51 .8 5r.2
5:00 p.m. 71.8 55 .2 52.9 51 .5 JI.4
9:00 p.m. 66.5 53 .5 .).t . J 51 .5 JI.+
1:00 a.m. 59.2 51.0 .).t . J 51 .5 JI.4
8:30 a.m. 54.9 47 .5 51.9 51 .5 51.4
Seasonal
62.0
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8:30 a.m. 68.0 69.2 67 .5 63.2

5:00 p.m. 81 .8 ,, 1
67 .8 63. 1 62.l
9:00 p.m. 79.3 /o.r 69.0 63.r 61 .5
1:00 a.m. 72.1 72.2 69.0 63. 1 61.1
8:30 a.m. 68.0 69.1 678 63.1 6t.l
\\''arm
8:30 a.rn. 79.4 83.7 82.2 75.1 73.9
5:00 p.m. 93.4 89 .2 82.1 1t 1 72.9
9:00 p.m. 90.5 90.5 84.7 75.2 73.9
1:00 a.m. 80.5 89 .2 84.7 75.9 74.9
8:30 a.m. 77.5 83.5 80.8 7s.9 74.9
+Min. air temperatures: Juty 22, 61oF;
July 23, 59"F.
Maximum air temperature: July 22, 84oF.
Soil temperatu re piior to operation of cooling and heating equipmeut (June 1 l, 1963) at 8, 16, 2+, atd,32-in. depths
were: 65, 59, 57, and 56oF, respectively,
For personal use only.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
{ppreciation is extended to George Robertson, Agrometeorological Section,
Plant Research Institute, for supplying and interpreting basic weather data
during the planning of the installition. -

REFERENCES
l. Caueeru, J. C. 1961. Some effects of root zone temperature and fertility level on the
glowth and chemical composition of corn grown in soil and gravel culture. Master's
Thesis, CorneII University, Ithaca, N.Y.
2. Coornn, D. J., NrersrN, K. F., WHrre, J. W., and Kernrr.uscu, W. 1960. Apparatus for
controlling soil temperatures. Can. J. Soil Sci.40, 105-107.
3. F_Inls, G. A., RrcuaRDs, N. R., and N,Ionwrcr, F. F. 19.14. Soil survey of Carleton
County. Ont. Soil Surv. Rept. 7.
4. Mecx, A. R. and Banom, S. A. 1960. A bath for soil temperature control in plot
culture work. Agron. J. 52, 299.
5. WIr.r-rs, W. O., Lensox, -W. E., and Kmruer,r, D. 1957. Corn growth as affected by
soil temperature and mulch. Agron. J. 49,323-328.

Received June 10, 1964

-A. R.A.Mecr
-W. Evexs