Assessment of Spatial Variability of Soil Physical, Chemical and Biological Quality

The spatial variability of soil physical, chemical and biological quality was investigated in a small

cultivated plot (0.5 ha) located in the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Jessore, a

south‐western district of Bangladesh. The topsoil was sampled according to a systematic sampling

pattern (nested) to describe the geostatistical techniques from 0 to 100 m. At the samples scale

results showed that the determined soil quality indicators are spatially dependent. pH, EC, organic

matter, and texture fractions indicated a ordered spatial variation. The spatial structure of the

studied soil quality indicators was analyzed and variogram models (spherical) were constructed.

Kriging derived contour maps constructed allowed to identify the micro‐regions of higher and

lower and optimum contents of the different quality parameters in the field. The distribution of

most soil quality indicators especially bulk density, particle density biomass and bacterial

population appears to depend largely on textural fraction and organic matter content.

• Research Project