Soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) measures the capability of soils to hold and release nutrients. It is an important measure for classifying soils and planning nutrient additions, but it is not included in routine soil tests offered to farmers. In this study, we compared CEC measured with standard laboratory practices (neutral ammonium acetate [AAc]) with CEC estimated from agronomic soil test data (Mehlich-3 and AAc). We applied previously published estimation methods to a dataset of 48 soil samples. Based on the results, traditional methods underestimate measured cation exchange capacity by 36% for Mehlich-3 and 24% for AAc. The estimation can be improved by including aluminium (12% overestimate) or by fitting a localized pedotransfer function (3% underestimate), which offers a possibility for informing land managers about their soil nutrient holding capacity without adding costs to the analysis.

Farmers and crop advisors rely on soil testing to evaluate soil nutrient status and to plan fertilizer applications. Plants require at least 14 essential plant nutrients, which can be classified into macro-(N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg and Na) and micronutrients (Cu, Zn, Mn, B, Mo, Si, Ni, and Cl) (Kirkby, 2012). Several different soil testing methods have been developed to estimate the capability of soil to provide nutrients for crops, without clear consensus on which method to apply (Hochmuth & Hanlon, 2010;Stockdale et al., 2002;Wuenscher et al., 2015). Several regional soil testing methods have been applied for decades to identify crop-limiting factors and to guide fertilizer applications (Berger & Truog, 1939;Spurway, 1948;Vuorinen & Mäkitie, 1955). Soil testing is also used to monitor the build-up and draw-down of

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Maintenance inspection has an important role for distribution network companies. Inspections should be homogeneous and cost-efficient, and, at the same time, additional values should be created where possible. Elenia Oy has made use of an aerial photography system for its overhead line medium and high voltage network. Clear benefits and additional values are observed with the technique. This paper presents experiences and benefits that Elenia has gained from this. Aerial photography is a more cost-efficient inspection technique than traditional walking inspection, and it offers additional values of scale for the Elenia organization and its partnership network in a variety of areas.