Assessment of Soil Fertility Status and Spatial Variability at Farm Level using Geostatistical Tools

DOI: 10.22161/ijeab.104.4

Abstract:
Soil quality and spatial variability of soil properties are essential considerations for sustainable nutrient management, particularly at the farm level. The present study was conducted from 2023 to 2025 at the Agricultural Research Sub-Station (ARSS), Vallabhnagar, Udaipur, to assess the soil fertility status and map the spatial distribution of soil properties using geospatial techniques. In Kikawas Village 34 sample points—were selected, and soil samples were collected from two depths: 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm. A comprehensive physico-chemical analysis was performed on each sample, including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon (OC), available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), exchangeable sodium (Na), ESP, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and micronutrients such as iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn). The soils of were alkaline (mean pH 8.16–8.27), with EC variability up to 30%. OC declined from 0.63% to 0.51% between depths, and available macronutrients were lower in the subsoil. Micronutrients, particularly Fe and Mn, showed high spatial variability and limited availability across 40–50% of the farm area.

Keywords:
Spatial variability, Geostatistics, Global positioning system, Geographic information system, Site-specific nutrient management

Article Info:
Received: 30 May 2025; Received in revised form: 28 Jun 2025; Accepted: 05 Jun 2025; Available online: 12 Jul 2025

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