Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

The temporal and spatial variability of soil properties in an agricultural system as affected by farming practices in the past 25 years

Author(s):

Shuhai Jia ^1*, De Zhou ^{1, 2}, Dazhi Xu ³

Recieved Date: 2011-06-09, Accepted Date: 2011-10-07

Abstract:

Soil samples of two years in Pingluo county of Liaoning, China, 1465 for 1981 and 2006, respectively, were collected to investigate the soil spatial variation of soil organic matter (SOM), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK). In this study, the spatial variation of extractable soil properties was performed using conventional statistics, geostatistics method and a geographical information system (GIS) extension tool to produce soil properties thematic maps. The results showed that AP was very variable, the average content of that ranged from 4.35 mg kg^-1 in 1981 to 45.89 mg kg^-1 in 2006, with a relative increase of 953.84%; SOM ranged from 9.38 g kg^-1 in 1981 to 11.21 g mg^-1 in 2006, with a relative increase of 19.55%; AK ranged from 58.26 mg kg^-1 in 1981 to 75.02 mg mg^-1 in 2006, with a relative increase of 28.77%. At the time, coefficient of variation (CV) of these soil properties was calculated. Trend analysis was conducted to offer a 3-D model of these soil samples, to visualize the data in the X (Longitude), Y (Latitude) and Z (Contents of soil properties) directions, and to observe any large-scale trends in whole study area. For SOM, AP, AK, the west-east and north-south directional spatial trends were observed in 1981 and in 2006, respectively. Semivariograms were evidently described the degree of spatial dependence for these variables of SOM, AP and AK. Compared with that in 1981, the nugget/sill ratios of soil AP in 2006 indicates a weakly spatial dependence that may be induced by the weakening of intrinsic variations, whereas the extrinsic variations has enhanced. The other soil properties had shown a moderately spatial dependence except for the ratio of AK in 1981 which displays a strongly spatial dependence. The kriging interpolation technique was applied to product maps of soil properties and to calculated areas of each level for SOM, AP and AK, which provides useful information for agricultural production, land use management and environmental management. Finally, in our study, some advices were also taken on the application of fertilizer to avoid the risk of economic loss and environmental pollution.

Keywords:

Farming practices, geostatistics, soil properties, temporal-spatial variability

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2011
Volume: 9
Issue: 3&4
Category: Environment
Pages: 669-676

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