Soil Properties Spatial Variability and Delineation of Site-Specific Management Zones Based on Soil Fertility Using Fuzzy Clustering in a Hilly Field in Jianyang, Sichuan, China

Avoiding soil degradation and improving crop productivity could be achieved by performing sustainable soil nutrient management with an appropriate understanding of soil properties’ spatial variability. The present fertilizer recommendations for the region where the study area is located are typically symmetric for large regions. This leads to the under-application of fertilizers in zones with low nutrient contents and over-application in zones with high nutrient contents. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess soil management zones (MZs) in the study area for effective soil nutrient management and to evaluate soil properties’ spatial variability. A total of 100 geo-referenced soil samples were collected at a depth of 0–20 cm, processed and analyzed for pH, available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorous (TP), while C:N, C:P and N:P ratios were calculated. Soil properties’ coefficients of variation (CVs) widely varied from low (1.132%) to moderate (45.748%). Ordinary kriging and semi-variogram analysis showed differed spatial variability patterns for the studied soil properties with spatial dependence ranged from weak to strong. MZs were delineated by performing principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy K-means clustering. Four PCs with eigen values more than 1 dominated 84.44% of the total variance, so they were retained for clustering analysis. Three MZs were delineated based on the two criteria modified partition entropy (MPE) and fuzzy performance index (FPI). The studied soil properties differed significantly among MZs. Thus, the methodology used for MZ delineation could be used effectively for soil site-specific nutrient management for avoiding soil degradation concurrently with maximizing crop production in the study area.

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Delineation of Soil Fertility Management Zones for Site-specific Nutrient Management in the Maize Belt Region of Nigeria

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12219010 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (21) ◽

pp. 9010

Author(s):

Kamaluddin T. Aliyu ◽

Alpha Y. Kamara ◽

Jibrin M. Jibrin ◽

Jeroen E. Huising ◽

Bello M. Shehu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Variability ◽

Soil Fertility ◽

Crop Production ◽

Nutrient Management ◽

Available P ◽

Soil Fertility Management ◽

Extrinsic Factors ◽

Total N ◽

Site Specific ◽

Management Zones

Site-specific nutrient management can reduce soil degradation and crop production risks related to undesirable timing, amount, and type of fertilizer application. This study was conducted to understand the spatial variability of soil properties and delineate spatially homogenous nutrient management zones (MZs) in the maize belt region of Nigeria. Soil samples (n = 3387) were collected across the area using multistage and random sampling techniques, and samples were analyzed for pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), macronutrients (N, P, K, S, Ca and Mg), micronutrients (S, B, Zn, Mn and Fe) content, and effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC). Spatial distribution and variability of these parameters were assessed using geostatistics and ordinary kriging, while principal component analysis (PCA) and multivariate K-means cluster analysis were used to delineate nutrient management zones. Results show that spatial variation of macronutrients (total N, available P, and K) was largely influenced by intrinsic factors, while that of S, Ca, ECEC, and most micronutrients was influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors with moderate to high spatial variability. Four distinct management zones, namely, MZ1, MZ2, MZ3, and MZ4, were identified and delineated in the area. MZ1 and MZ4 have the highest contents of most soil fertility indicators. MZ4 has a higher content of available P, Zn, and pH than MZ1. MZ2 and MZ3, which constitute the larger part of the area, have smaller contents of the soil fertility indicators. The delineated MZs offer a more feasible option for developing and implementing site-specific nutrient management in the maize belt region of Nigeria.

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Sampling Size Requirements to Delineate Spatial Variability of Soil Properties for Site-Specific Nutrient Management in Rubber Tree Plantations

Journal of Resources and Ecology ◽

10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2019.04.011 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 441

Author(s):

Lin Qinghuo ◽

Li Hong ◽

Li Baoguo ◽

Luo Wei ◽

Lin Zhaomu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Variability ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Nutrient Management ◽

Rubber Tree ◽

Tree Plantations ◽

Site Specific

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Mapping of spatial variability in soil properties for site-specific nutrient management of Nagpur Mandarin in Central India

Indian Journal of Horticulture ◽

10.5958/0974-0112.2018.00038.5 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 75 (2) ◽

pp. 209 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

S.S. Sawant ◽

M.S.S. Nagaraju ◽

Rajeev Srivastava ◽

Jagdish Prasad ◽

R.A. Nasre ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Variability ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Nutrient Management ◽

Central India ◽

Site Specific

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Deciphering Soil Spatial Variability through Geostatistics and Interpolation Techniques

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13010194 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 194

Author(s):

Mohamed A. E. AbdelRahman ◽

Yasser M. Zakarya ◽

Mohamed M. Metwaly ◽

Georgios Koubouris

Keyword(s):

Spatial Variability ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Precision Agriculture ◽

Nutrient Management ◽

Prediction Method ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Detailed Knowledge ◽

Agricultural Planning ◽

Management Recommendations ◽

Soil Spatial Variability

Detailed knowledge of soil properties is fundamentally important for optimizing agriculture practices and management. Meanwhile, the spatial distribution of soil physicochemical properties is considered a fundamental input of any sustainable agricultural planning. In the present study, ordinary kriging, regression kriging and IDW were chosen for deciphering soil spatial variability and mapping soil properties in a reclaimed area of the Behera Governorate of Egypt where soil arose from two different types, one sandstone and the other limestone. Geostatistics were used to show the interrelationships and conditions of soil properties (available phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, EC, pH, Sp, ESP, CEC, OC, SAR, and CaCO3). The results of mapping spatial soil variability by Geostatistics could be used for precision agriculture applications. Based on the soil test results, nutrient management recommendations should be applied regarding variable rates of fertilizers. The performance of the maps was evaluated using Mean square error (MSE). Inverse distance weight (IDW) showed higher efficiency than Kriging as a prediction method for mapping the studied soil properties in the study area. The results of the present study suggest that the application of the selected fit model worldwide in any relevant study of soil properties of different geological sources is feasible.

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Spatial Variability and Geostatistical Analysis of Soil Properties in the Diversified Cropping Regions of Bangladesh Using Geographic Information System Techniques

Applied and Environmental Soil Science ◽

10.1155/2021/6639180 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-19

Author(s):

Md. Zulfikar Khan ◽

Md. Rafikul Islam ◽

Ahmed Bin Abdus Salam ◽

Tama Ray

Keyword(s):

Spatial Variability ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Nutrient Management ◽

Sampling Site ◽

Geostatistical Analysis ◽

Kriging Interpolation ◽

Total N ◽

Study Region ◽

Site Specific ◽

Classical Statistics

Mapping of soil properties is an important operation as it plays an important role in the knowledge about soil properties and how it can be used sustainably. The study was carried out in a local government area in Bangladesh in order to map out some soil properties and assess their variability within the area. From the study area, a total of 92 soil samples (0–20 cm) were collected from different cropping patterns at an interval of 2.2 × 2.2 km2 on a regular grid design. A portable global positioning system (GPS) was used to collect coordinates of each sampling site. Then, soil properties, that is, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (Total N), and soil available nutrients (P, K, and S) were measured in the laboratory. After the normalization of data, classical statistics were used to describe the soil properties, and geostatistical analysis was used to illustrate the spatial variability of the soil properties by using kriging interpolation techniques in a GIS environment. Results show that the spatial distribution and spatial dependency level of soil properties can be different even within the small or large scale. According to cross-validation results, for most soil properties, the kriging interpolation method provided the least interpolation error. The generated maps of soil properties that indicate soil nutrient status over the study region could be helpful for farmers and decision-makers to enhance site-specific nutrient management. Also, these prototype maps would be helpful for future nutrient and fertilizer applications management, including a site-specific condition to not only reduce the cost of input management but also prevent any environmental hazard. It also demonstrates that the effectiveness of geostatistics and GIS techniques provided a powerful tool for this study in terms of regionalized nutrient management.

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A GIS-based approach to identify the spatial variability of salt affected soil properties and delineation of site-specific management zones: A case study from Egypt

Soil Science Annual ◽

10.37501/soilsa/121495 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 71 (1) ◽

pp. 76-85

Author(s):

Mohamed Kamal Abdel-Fattah

Keyword(s):

Spatial Variability ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Site Specific ◽

Management Zones ◽

Salt Affected Soil ◽

Specific Management

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Linking Soil Health to Sustainable Crop Production: Dairy Compost Effects on Soil Properties and Sorghum Biomass

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11133552 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (13) ◽

pp. 3552 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Pramod Acharya ◽

Rajan Ghimire ◽

Youngkoo Cho

Keyword(s):

Soil Properties ◽

Biomass Production ◽

Crop Production ◽

Nutrient Management ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Soil Health ◽

Management Plan ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Forage Production ◽

Compost Application

Dairy compost is utilized in agricultural fields to supplement nutrients, yet its role in optimizing nutrient supply and health of semiarid soils is not clear. A greenhouse study was conducted over two months to evaluate soil properties and forage sorghum production under various compost rates. The study had six treatments and four replications. Treatments included compost application rates at 6.7 (C1), 13.5 (C2), 20.2 (C3), 26.9 (C4), and 33.6 Mg ha−1 (C5) and a control (C0). Soil samples were analyzed for soil organic carbon (SOC), potentially mineralizable carbon (PMC), total nitrogen (N), inorganic N, potentially mineralizable N (PMN), available phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S). Plant biomass production and biomass C, N, and lignin contents were also estimated. High compost rates improved soil properties significantly (p < 0.05) indicated by increased SOC, N, P, K, Ca, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Sorghum biomass production did not increase significantly with compost rate, while shoot N content increased at higher rates of compost. A nutrient management plan that integrates dairy compost application has potential to improve soil health and support sustainable forage production in semiarid regions.

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