Spatial variability of soil attributes and sugarcane yield in relation to topographic location

Abstract

Soils submitted to the same management system in places with little variation of landscape, manifest differentiated spatial variability of their attributes and crop yield. The aim of this work was to investigate the correlation between spatial variability of the soil attributes and sugarcane yield as a result of soil topography. To achieve this objective, a test area of 42 ha located at the São João Sugar Mill, in Araras, in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, was selected. Sugarcane yield was measured with a yield monitor fitted in a sugarcane harvester and GPS signal. A total of 170 soil samples were taken at regular 50 m grid, at a depth of 0 - 0.2 m. The area under study was divided into two sites based on topography. The following soil attributes were analysed: organic matter (OM) content, exchangeable potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), their base saturation percentage (%BS), cation exchange capacity (CEC), pH, clay, silt, total sand and density. The use of landscape and geostatistics enable defining areas with different spatial variability in soil attributes and crop yield, providing the visualization and definition of homogeneous management zones. The largest spatial variability of soil attributes and sugarcane yield was in the lowest part of the field.