Can we use electrical resistivity tomography to measure root zone competition in fields with multiple crops?

Contour hedgerow intercropping systems have been proposed to reduce run-off and control soil erosion on steep agricultural land. However, competition for water and nutrients between crops and associated hedgerows may reduce the overall performance of these systems. ERT measurements conducted in Thailand showed that the soils of our experimental plots were very heterogeneous both along the slope as with depth. This observation highlighted some constraints of the ERT method for soil moisture monitoring in the field. Nevertheless, the data indeed revealed contrasting water depletion patterns under monocropping and intercropping systems, which could also be related to plant parameters.