Assessment of Geostatistical Approach to Spatial Distribution of Soil Fertility Characteristics of the Southwest of Shiraz in Different Land Uses

The spatial distribution of soil characteristics is a fundamental factor for planning sustainable agriculture. Geostatistical methods are widely used to determine the spatial variability of soil characteristics in unknown locations. This research was carried out to evaluate the geostatistical methods for zoning some characteristics of the Darnagan area including agricultural (crop and horticultural) and pasture land uses in the southwest of Shiraz. 134 surface soil samples were collected with a grid pattern from three different land uses, and some of their fertility characteristics were measured. The results based on precision criteria revealed that exponential co-kriging was the best method for interpolating P, J-Bessel for K and Fe, stable model for Ca and Mn, tetra spherical model for N and Mg, Gaussian model for Zn, and rational quadratic model for Cu. The weak spatial structure was obtained for Zn, medium for N, K, and Mn, and strong for other variables. According to spatial distribution maps, 96, 28, and 24% of the studied area are deficient in nutrients N, P, and K, respectively. Concerning micronutrient elements, 78% and 63% of the region are deficient in Fe and Zn, respectively. The statistical comparison of the studied characteristics indicated a significant difference in P, K, Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, and CEC amounts in different land uses.