Using geostatistics to evaluate the physical attributes of a soil cultivated with sugarcane

Abstract

Intensive farming leads to change in soil physical properties, thus modifying the arrangement of soil structure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial variability of soil under sugarcane crop through its physical attributes using geostatistics. The experiment was conducted in an area cultivated with sugarcane in the municipality of Maracanau, Ceara state, in an Ultisol that had been under tillage without plowing for five years. In an area of one hectare, we set up a grid with 100 points spaced every 10 m. Samples of disturbed and undisturbed soil were collected from the middle layer of 0-0.20 m. The samples collected were used to determine water dispersible clay, particle size, degree of flocculation, soil density and geometric mean diameter of aggregates. The following soil physical attributes obtained spatial dependence: water dispersible clay, clay, total sand, silt, degree of flocculation, soil density and geometric mean diameter. The spatial variability maps allowed identification of specific areas of management, which can improve the planning of sugarcane cultivation.