Spatial variability of soil chemical properties under different land-uses in Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

The understanding of the spatial variation of soil chemical properties is critical in agriculture and the environment. To assess the spatial variability of soil chemical properties in the Fogera plain, Ethiopia, we used Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW), pair-wise comparisons, descriptive analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA). In 2019, soil samples were collected at topsoil (a soil depth of 0–20 cm) from three representative land-uses (cropland, plantation forestland, and grazing lands) using a grid-sampling design. The variance analysis for soil pH, available phosphorus (avP), organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable potassium (exchK), exchangeable calcium (exchCa), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) revealed significant differences among the land-uses. The highest mean values of pH (8.9), avP (32.99 ppm), OC (4.82%), TN (0.39%), EC (2.28 dS m−1), and exchK (2.89 cmol (+) kg-1) were determined under grazing land. The lowest pH (6.2), OC (2.3%), TN (0.15%), and EC (0.11 dS m−1) were recorded in cultivated land. The PCA result revealed that the land-use change was responsible for most soil chemical properties, accounting for 93.32%. Soil maps can help identify the nutrient status, update management options, and increase productivity and profit. The expansion of cultivated lands resulted in a significant decrease in soil organic matter. Thus, soil management strategies should be tailored to replenish the soil nutrient content while maintaining agricultural productivity in the Fogera plain.