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Spatial Variability Of Important Soil Characteristics In Semiarid Ecosystems, A Case Study In Arsanjan Plain, Southern Iran
1M. Baghernejad, 2M. M. Emadi
1. Associate Prof., Soil Science department, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
2. PhD student, Soil Science department, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Timely information on the content and distribution of key soil nutrients in highly calcareous ecosystems is vital to support precision agriculture. Efficient tools to measure within-field spatial variation in soil are important when establishing agricultural field trials and in precision farming. Therefore, soil samples were collected at 0-30 cm depth in highly calcareous soils (Arsanjan plain) and chemically analyzed for nitrate (NO3-), electrical conductivity (ECe), available potassium (K), available phosphorus (P), and available zinc (Zn). Coordinates of each of the 100 points were recorded with GPS. Results herein indicated that selected soil fertility properties had the spatial distribution and spatial dependence level varies within location. Variograms of K, P, Zn in study area showed spatial structure approximated by spherical model, whereas ECe, NO3-, and pH showed spatial structure approximated by exponential model. The range of spatial dependence was found to vary within soil selected properties. Generally, NO3- had the shortest range of spatial dependence (69.4 m) and the K had the longest (543.3 m). In general, all parameters exhibited strongly spatially dependence. The spatial distribution and spatial dependence level of soil properties can be different even within similarly managed farms. Moreover, the soil selected fertility properties were found to be affected by farmer management. Variography and kriging can be useful tools for designing effective soil sampling strategies and variable tare application of inputs for use of in site-specific farming. Strong spatial dependency of soil fertility properties would lead to the extrinsic factors such a ground water level and quality. I addition, the quantitative information obtained from these predicted maps could be used to facilitate sit-specific management in the study region and applying variable-rate technology in field for best management.

Keyword: Spatial variability, kriging, semiarid soils, Iran