Abstract
For homogeneous fertilization and crop management practices, this work hypothesized that texture could influence cereal yield, particularly in dry regions. Particle size analysis could help improve knowledge of the soil-plant relationship to obtain favorable conditions for better yield. The objective of this work is to develop a single granulometric index for durum wheat (Triticum durum) that is well correlated with yield. For this purpose, 350 independent samples of cereal soils from eastern Algeria were taken and the recorded yields were linked to these samples. The cutoff yield, which separates sub-populations with acceptable yield from those with less acceptable yield, was determined from the inflection point of the cumulative variance ratio functions related to yield by the Richards’ equation. The result obtained is 2.0 Mg.ha−1, with a theoretical critical chi-square value of 4.2, close to 4.6, which is the critical value of r2granulo as obtained by the Cate-Nelson procedure. The five-granulometric indices were found to be symmetrical around zero as follows: ±0.83 for clay (IC), ±1.73 for fine silt (IFL), ±0.31 for coarse silt (ICL), ±0.44 for fine sand (IFS), and ±1.30 for coarse sand (ICS). The two fractions that most influence the textural imbalance are fine silt (IFL) and coarse sand (ICS), with a contribution of 41% and 37%, respectively. The critical single imbalance index r g r a n u l o 2 can be used for determining cereal suitability for soils in the arid region of eastern Algeria. The lower the r g r a n u l o 2 is, the better the soil for cereal crops.
Highlights
According to statistics [1], cereal production in Algeria has grown from 8 to 51 million quintals in half a century
Soil texture contributes to the inherent quality of the soil, and is virtually unchangeable by soil management
To ensure better monitoring of the sustainability of soil management practices, De la Rosa and Sobral [7] proposed the quantitative measurement of soil properties
Summary
According to statistics [1], cereal production in Algeria has grown from 8 to 51 million quintals in half a century This resulted in intensive tillage and an in the introduction of fallow years [2], exposing the soils to compaction and to degradation of surface horizons [3,4,5]. According to Parent et al [17], this analysis avoids three statistical inefficiencies: redundancy of information by calculating the difference between a component and the sum of the other components [18], sub-compositional inconsistency, and non-normal data distribution [19] It is, hypothesized that the compositional transformation of the five particle sizes (clay, fine loam, coarse loam, fine sand, and coarse sand) into a global index, noted r2 granulo [20,21,22], is relevant if this global index can be related to cereal yields. The objective of this study is to amalgamate the five-particle size components into a single index rgranulo 2 better suited to identifying the zones of better cereal productivity in eastern Algeria
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
