Modeling Spatial Variability and Mapping Soil Test Results
of Some Districts of NWFP
Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Aman Ullah Bhatti, Department of Soil and
Environmental Sciences, NWFP, Agricultural University, Peshawar.
SUMMARY
Keeping in view the importance of spatial variability of soil physical and
chemical properties, the project was started in Oct. 2003 with funding from HEC
and was continued for the year 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. During the first year,
research work was conducted on soils of Kohat and Bannu districts, during the
second year on the soils of Peshawar and Charsadda districts, and on the soils
of Dera Ismail Khan and Tank Districts during the third year. Soil sampling was
done on a grid system using Global Positioning System (PGS) from two depths
i.e. 0-15 and 15-45 cm in all the districts. Soil samples thus collected were
analyzed for various physical and chemical soil properties. Data collected on the
measured soil physical and chemical properties were analyzed using classical as
well as geostatistical technologies. Using spatial variability of various soil
properties isarithmic maps of these soil properties were developed using Surfer.
The results showed that soil texture ranged from clay to sandy loam in
Kohat, clay to loamy sand in Bannu, silt to silty clay loam in Peshawar, silt to
sandy loam in Charsadda, sandy loam to clay in D.I.Khan, and sandy loam to
clay loam in Tank district. All the soils of all the districts were alkaline in reaction
and calcareous in nature.
As regards salinity/sodicity, 14 % soils were saline in Kohat,21 % in
Bannu, 34 % in Peshawar, 90 % in Charsadda, 46 % in D.I.Khan and 60 % in
Tank district.
Soil fertility status is an important indicator of crop productivity of an area.
Almost all the soils of the all the districts were low in organic matter and deficient
in nitrogen. Phosphorus was deficient in 95 % soils in Kohat, 92 % in Bannu, 68
% in Peshawar, 44 % in Charsadda, 70 % in D.I.Khan and 60 % in Tank district.
Available K was almost sufficient in Kohat, Bannu, Peshawar, Charsadda and
D.I. Khan districts but deficiencies are appearing in some areas, while 18 %
deficient in Tank district.
Available Zn was deficient in 36 % soils in Kohat, 44 % in Bannu, 36 % in
Peshawar, 92 % in Charsadda, 52 % in D.I.Khan and 67 % in Tank district.
Available copper was found in adequate amounts in all the districts except Kohat
district where 15 % samples were found deficient in Cu. Iron content was
deficient in 15 % soils in Kohat, 11 % in Bannu, 3 % in D.I.Khan and 46 % in
Tank district while Fe deficiencies are appearing in Peshawar and Charsadda
districts. Available Mn was deficient in 23 % soils in Kohat district, 8 % in
Peshawar, 8 % in Charsadda and 3 % in D.I. Khan district. Boron content was
found deficient to different extent in various districts, 50 % in Kohat, 53 % in
Bannu, 55 % in Peshawar, 41 % in Charsadda, and 43 % in Tank district.
Semivariogram analysis of various soil properties showed that sand, silt,
clay, soil pH, ECe, lime content, organic matter, N,K, Cu, Mn and B had spatial
patterns of various degree in Bannu district. In case of Kohat district, sand, silt,
clay, soil pH, lime content, organic matter content, K, and B showed spatial
patterns.
In case of Peshawar district, sand, clay, saturation percentage, soil pH,
organic matter, K, Fe, Zn, and Cu were spatially distributed, while in Charsadda
district, silt, clay, saturation percentage, ECe, lime content, organic matter
content, N,P,K, and B had spatial patterns. In D.I.Khan district, sand, silt, clay,
saturation percentage, soil pH, ECe, organic matter, lime content, N,P,K, Zn, Cu,
Fe and Mn were spatially distributed. Silt, clay, saturation percentage, organic
matter content, N,P, Cu and Mn showed spatial patterns in Tank district.
Based on the spatial patterns of various soil properties, values of various
soil properties were interpolated at unsampled locations using kriging technique.
Isarithmic maps were thus developed using Surfer. Maps of various soil
properties showed that almost all of the maps have some spatial variation in
different soil physical and chemical properties. Different areas were delineated
into different categories of soil fertility for fertilizer management.
Mapping of soil properties in this part of the country was done for the first
time for six districts of NWFP. These maps can be used for better management
of soils. Areas with low levels of various plant nutrients were delineated. This will
help the researchers as well as extension workers of these areas for formulating
site-specific fertilizer recommendations according to the fertility status of soils. By
adopting these fertilizer recommendations by farmers, crop yields can be
increased 2 to 3 times of the present yields. Moreover, site-specific management
of soils will improve efficiency of fertilizer use. This will have a significant impact
on the income of farmers in particular and on the economy of the country in
general.
In addition to impact on crop production this project imparted training to
one Ph.D. and three M.Sc. Hons. Agri. (M.Phil) students and worked as a source
for Human Resource Development (HRD) which is the main mandate of the
universities.
1.
Mr. Wasiullah Ph.D.
Mapping of soils of Kohat and Bannu districts
using spatial variability and geostatistical
techniques. (Completed)
2.
Mr. Muhammad Rashid
M. Sc. (Hons) Agric.
Spatial variability of major and minor nutrients
deficiencies in soils of Peshawar district.
(Completed)
3.
Aneela Rahim
M.Sc. (Hons) Agric.
Soil Fertility Status of Chashma Right Bank
Canal command areas of Dera Ismail Khan
district. (In progress)
4.
Saima Muhayyudin
M.S.c (Hons) Agric.
Soil Fertility Status of Soils of Tank district.
(In Progress)