Spatial Variability of Soil Micronutrient Properties Using Geostatistical Approach and Geographic Information System Technique

Abstract

The distribution of soil qualities in every given area is essential for the development of management strategies that are appropriate to that site, since this promotes agricultural productivity sustainability and preserves the health of the soil.In spite of this, the current study was carried out in the Madhya Pradesh state of India to measure the spatial distribution of specific soil qualities in the soybean-wheat and soybean-chickpea belt. A total 303 geo-referenced composite surface (0-15cm) soil samples were collected across the study area. These samples were analyzed for different soil properties viz: pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) the DTPA extractable Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe. The main goals of the study were to: (i) use geo-statistical methods to assess the spatial variability of soil available micronutrients, such as extractable zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), and boron (B), at a regional scale; (ii) use ordinary kriging to develop maps of soil micronutrient distribution; and (iii) evaluate the relationships between micronutrient availability and several soil properties. It was revealed that 79.54% and 7.92% of the soil samples had shortages in accessible zinc and iron, respectively, but no soil sample had deficiencies in copper, magnesium, or zinc and sulphur. The concentrations of extractable Zn, Cu, Mn, and Fe, with the exception of B, exhibited substantial negative relationships with the pH of the soil. The EC had positive and significant relationship with SOC and B, respectively. The significant positive relationship of SOC of soil with available hot water-soluble B respectively. The soil micronutrients were showed significant positive relationship with each other. HWS B was also shown to be positive and statistically significant. In this study, spherical models were best suited for Cu, Mn, and Fe, whereas exponential models were best fitted for Zn and B. The semivariogram models for Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, and B's nugget/sill ratios There was a documented moderate regional dependence for extractable Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, and B for Mn.