Abstract
Soil fertility (SF) is crucial factor that directly impact the performance and quality of crop production. To investigate the SF status in agricultural lands under winter wheat in Khuzestan province, 811 samples were collected from the soil surface (0–25 cm) depth. Eleven soil properties i.e. electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE), available phosphorus (Pav), exchangeable potassium (Kex), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and soil pH. The Nutrient Index Value (NIV) was calculated based on wheat nutritional requirements. The results indicated that 100%, 93%, and 74% of the study areas for CCE, pH, and EC fell into the low, moderate, and moderate to high NIV classes, respectively. Also, 25% of area is classified as low fertility (NIV < 1.67), 75% falls under medium fertility (1.67 < NIV value < 2.33), and none of in high fertility (NIV value > 2.33). Assessment of the mean wheat yield (AWY) and its comparison with NIV showed that the highest yield was in the Ramhormoz region (5200 Kg. ha− 1), while the lowest yield was in the Hendijan region (3000 Kg. ha− 1) with the lowest EC rate in the study area. Elevated levels of salinity and CCE in soils had the most negative impact on irrigated WY, while Pav, TN, and Mn availability showed significant effects on crop production. Therefore, implementing SF management practices is essential for both quantitative and qualitative improvement in irrigated wheat production in Khuzestan province.