| Efficiency of geostatistical analysis and Kriging for predicting Soil available NPK at farm level, a case study |
| Paper ID : 1071-ICRSSSA-FULL |
| Authors |
|
Abdel-rahman A. Mustafa *, Ali Refaat Moursy soil and water, faculty of Agriculture, Sohag University |
| Abstract |
| Soil properties vary spatially and knowing the extent of spatial variability of soil characteristics is highly essential for the management of these soils and crop cultivation. A total of 56 soil samples were collected from the surface (0–20 cm) from Faculty of Agriculture Farm, El-Kawthar region, Sohag, Egypt. The samples collected at an approximate interval of 7500 × 7500 m2 on regular grid design with the help of a handheld global positioning system (GPS) over the entire study area. Twenty (20) more points sampled for cross-validation purposes. A total of 56 surface soil samples were collected.. The objectives of the study were to characterize the spatial variability of soil macro-nutrients such as available N, available P, and available K by fitting the best semi-variogram model; to estimate the values of soil properties at un-sampled locations using geo-statistical tools, and to prepare the spatial variability maps of soil properties using ordinary Kriging technique. Different semivariogram models were applied and among them, the Spherical semivariogram model was found to be the best fit for assessing the spatial variability of the studied properties. The obtained data were used to create the spatial variability maps for these soil properties by ordinary kriging tool. The geostatistical and kriging tools can be used to estimate the value of soil properties at unsampled locations and ultimately to develop spatial variability maps for better soil management. |
| Keywords |
| Kriging, Semivariogram, Spatial variability, Geostatistics, Sohag. |
| Status: Accepted (Oral Presentation) |
