The Role of Digital Soil Mapping in Soil Survey and Agricultural Planning
Syed. Shujat. Hussain *
Krishi Viygan Kendra Pulwama, Sheri Kashmir University of Science and Technology, Kashmir, India.
Ajaz.A. Ganie
Krishi Viygan Kendra Pulwama, Sheri Kashmir University of Science and Technology, Kashmir, India.
Waseem A. Dar
Krishi Viygan Kendra Pulwama, Sheri Kashmir University of Science and Technology, Kashmir, India.
Towseef.A. Wani
Krishi Viygan Kendra Pulwama, Sheri Kashmir University of Science and Technology, Kashmir, India.
Md Hadayatullah
Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India.
Jahangeer.A. Baba
Krishi Viygan Kendra Pulwama, Sheri Kashmir University of Science and Technology, Kashmir, India.
Gowhar.N. Parrey
Krishi Viygan Kendra Pulwama, Sheri Kashmir University of Science and Technology, Kashmir, India.
Javeed.A. Mugloo
Krishi Viygan Kendra Pulwama, Sheri Kashmir University of Science and Technology, Kashmir, India.
Rukhsar.A Dar
Krishi Viygan Kendra Pulwama, Sheri Kashmir University of Science and Technology, Kashmir, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) is an essential tool for soil survey and agricultural planning. It involves creating and populating spatial soil information using field and laboratory observations, often referred to as "predictive soil mapping" or "pedometric mapping." DSM provides detailed information on various soil properties, including soil pH, soil moisture content, soil organic carbon, electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and nutrient concentrations such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), and other micronutrients. It also measures gypsum concentration, base saturation percentage, heavy metal concentrations, and parent material characteristics. DSM utilizes digital elevation models, geostatistical modeling, and spatial interpolation of collected soil samples from a specific area. Instruments like the Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (PXRF), combined with polynomial algorithms and various 'R' software packages, are integral to DSM. Geostatistical modeling tools such as kriging, splines, simulation options, covariance functions, semivariance functions, and variograms are employed for spatial interpolation of collected data to generate digital soil maps.
Keywords: Digital soil mapping, SCORPAN model, PXRF, R packages for DSM, digital elevation models, geo statistical modeling, portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometer