Assessment of spatial variability and mapping of soil properties for sustainable agricultural production using geographic information system techniques (GIS)

• Published in: Cogent food & agriculture Vol. 3; no. 1; p. 1279366
• Main Authors: Denton, O.A., Aduramigba-Modupe, V.O., Ojo, A.O., Adeoyolanu, O.D., Are, K.S., Adelana, A.O., Oyedele, A.O., Adetayo, A.O., Oke, A.O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Cogent 01-01-2017; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Agricultural practices; Agricultural production; Cation exchange; Cation exchanging; Chemical properties; Coefficient of variation; Geographic information systems; interpolation and geographic information system (GIS); Kriging interpolation; Local government; Mapping; Mathematical analysis; Nitrogen; Organic carbon; Organic phosphorus; pH effects; Phosphorus; Potassium; Remote sensing; Satellite navigation systems; Soil analysis; Soil characteristics; Soil management; Soil mapping; Soil properties; Soil sampling; spatial variability; Statistical analysis; Statistical methods; Sustainable agriculture; Variability
• ISSN: 2331-1932; 2331-1932
• DOI: 10.1080/23311932.2017.1279366

Mapping of soil properties is an important operation as it plays an important role in the knowledge about soil properties and how it can be used sustainably. The study was carried out in a local government area in Oyo state in order to map out some soil characteristics and assess their variability within the area. Soil sampling was carried out in three different locations in the local government area using the cluster sampling technique. Ten samples were collected in each location within a 10 by 10 km area, soil was sampled at two depths (0-20 and 20-40 cm) respectively. The soil samples were air-dried, crushed and passed through a 2 mm sieve before analyzing it for Nitrogen, phosphorus, Potassium, Organic carbon, pH and exchangeable bases in the laboratory while the SAR, ESP% and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were calculated. After the normalization of data classical statistics was used to describe the soil properties and geo-statistical analysis was used to illustrate the spatial variability of the soil properties by using kriging interpolation techniques in a GIS environment. Results showed that the soil properties with high variability in terms of coefficient of variation are available phosphorus and potassium (C.V = >35%), nitrogen, CEC, OC, SAR and ESP were all moderately variable (C.V = 34-15%) while pH had low variability (C.V = <15%). These variations in chemical properties are mostly related to the different soil management practices carried out in the study area and the parent material on which the soil is formed.