SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SOME SOIL PROPERTIES IN SAHL AL-HUSSAINIYAH, SHARKIA GOVERNORATE, EGYPT

Abstract

Sustainable soil management with appropriate understanding of soil characteristics is vital in maintaining and improving soil fertility. The objectives of the present study is to characterize the spatial variability across a soil for selected using GIS technique. A total of 120 geo-referenced representative soil samples (from 0 to 0.60 m depth) were collected from Sahl Al-Hussainiyah, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. Analyses included pH, ECe, CaCO3, soil organic matter (OM), available N, P and K, cations exchange capacity (CEC) and bulk density (BD). Spatial distribution pattern varies from moderate to strong. The best fit semivariogram model of ECe, K and BD was stable model, whereas K-Bessel model was the best fit model of pH, OM and CEC. With the exponential model, the best fit was with CaCO3, N and P. According to the spatial distribution map, five zones were identified, where the study area was classified to < 7.17, 7.17 to 7.41; 7.41 to 7.66; 7.66 to 7.89, and > 7.8 for pH, < 6.70, 6.71 to 8.17; 8.18 to 9.73; 9.74 to 11.4, and > 11.5 dSm -1 for EC, < 2.3, 2.31 to 2.92; 2.93 to 3.76; 3.77 to 4.52, and > 4.53% for CaCO3, < 0.43, 0.44 to 0.52; 0.53 to 0.61; 0.62 to 69, and > 0.70% for OM, < 30.3, 30.3 to 37.9, 37.9 to 45.6, 45.6 to 52.6, and > 62.6 mg kg -1 for N, < 1.61, 1.62 to 2.43; 2.44 to 3.31; 3.32 to 4.30, and > 3.41 mg kg -1 for P. < 103, 104 to 113; 114 to 124; 125 to 132, and > 132 mg kg -1 for K, < 43.2, 43.2 to 46.8; 46.8 to 50.8; 50.8 to 55.8, and > 55.8 cmolc kg -1 for CEC and < 1.27, 1.28 to 1.32; 1.33 to 1.39; 1.40 to 1.51, and > 1.52 Mg m -3 for BD. Thus, this methodology can be used succsseffly in Spatial Variability of some soil properties.