Spatial Analysis of Soil Texture using GIS based Geostatistics Models and Influence of Soil Texture on Soil Hydraulic Conductivity in Melur Block of Madurai District, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Background: Soil texture is one of the important property constitute ultimate size particles. Proportions of these ultimate soil particles depend on the pedogenesis and mineralogical composition of parent material and also decide all other soil properties. Due to the imprudent crop selection and imperfect agricultural methods, the very fertile soil is becoming denser and low productive. Geostatistics is a set of Models and tools developed for statistical analysis of continuous data. A critical aspect of agriculture ecosystem and environment modeling is the accurate prediction for the spatial variability of soil properties. Methods: In this study, Geostatistical modeling based Kriging techniques has been used to identify the textural variation of soil in the present scenario of Melur Block of Madurai district. Totally, 150 soil samples were collected across Melur block of Madurai district based on grid soil survey and geo coordinates. Result: Geostatistical soil textural maps have been generated based on Kriging tools and these would be utilized for Land Use Pattern, precision agriculture, conservation practices, as well as land management in the research region. The characterization of the spatial variability and influence of soil texture on hydraulic conductivity is essential to accomplish a better understanding of intricate relations between soil properties and environmental factors.