Spatial prediction of soil organic matter in Adingnigon (Benin) using Bayesian Maximum Entropy (BME)

Abstract

Demographic pressure and climate change have heavily affected soil fertility. Proper soil management requires the understanding of the spatial variation of soil properties. In this study, Bayesian maximum Entropy (BME) was used to explore the variation of soil pH and soil organic matter (SOM) at Adingningon (Benin) using 106 soil samples. The predicting maps indicated a lower concentration (0.6 to 0.8g/kg) of SOM toward the center and pH mostly around 5.8 to 6.5 with lower error variance, suggesting an acidic soil. This results provide useful information for managing soil fertility to improve crop yields.\\