Spatial Variability of Arable Soils’ Agrochemical Properties (Case Study of the Trubchevsky Raion in Bryansk Oblast)

Abstract

Spatial variability of the arable horizon’s agrochemically valuable properties (pHKCl, hydrolytic acidity, base exchange capacity, degree of base saturation, humus content, content of mobile phosphorus and exchangeable potassium) has been evaluated. It is shown that division of the totality into partition subsets corresponding to classification units significantly reduces the variation degree of humus and physicochemical properties, having practically no effect on pH variability and the content of mobile phosphorus and exchangeable potassium. Discriminant analysis shows that the arable horizons of soddy medium-podzolic, grey forest, and dark grey forest soils are satisfactorily classified according to a given set of properties. Bogpodzolic and grey forest gleyed soils are poorly classified; light grey forest soils have an intermediate position, gravitating toward grey forest soils.