PL EN
ORIGINAL PAPER
Spatial analysis of soil physicochemical and hydraulic properties in the Libga irrigation scheme in northern Ghana using geostatistics and GIS approach
 
More details
Hide details
1
Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Mechanisation and Irrigation Technology, University for Development Studies, Ghana
 
2
School of Engineering, Department of Agricultural Engineering, University for Development Studies, Ghana
 
3
Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Geo-Information Sciences, University for Development Studies, Ghana
 
 
Submission date: 2021-11-29
 
 
Final revision date: 2022-04-22
 
 
Acceptance date: 2022-05-10
 
 
Online publication date: 2022-05-10
 
 
Corresponding author
Yakubu Saaka Zakaria   

Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Mechanisation and Irrigation Technology, University for Development Studies, Ghana
 
 
Soil Sci. Ann., 2022, 73(2)149942
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
This study was undertaken to determine the spatial variability of soil physicochemical and hydraulic properties in the Libga irrigation scheme in order to make appropriate recommendations for site-specific management on irrigation and soil/plant nutrition. Soil samples were collected from 0–30 cm and 30–60 cm depths from 50 geo-referenced points located at the nodes of a 100 m × 100 m regular grid. Particle size distribution (PSD), bulk density (BD), total porosity (TP), field capacity (FC), permanent wilting point (PWP), available water capacity (AWC), saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), electrical conductivity (EC) and pH were determined following standard laboratory protocols at the AGSSIP Laboratory of the University for Development Studies, Nyankpala. Generally, soils in the scheme had relatively high bulk densities and were slightly acidic. Electrical conductivity displayed the highest variability with CVs of 154.6% at 0–30 cm and 178.7% at 30–60 cm whereas BD displayed the lowest variability (CVs of 4.43% and 4.8% at 0–30 cm and 30–60 cm). Most of the soil properties exhibited moderate to strong spatial dependence indicating that they were mainly influenced by intrinsic or soil forming factors. Spatially, the soil properties showed a continuous distribution pattern over relatively longer distances indicating that site-specific irrigation and fertilization could be implemented in the scheme.
 
REFERENCES (33)
1.
Abu, S.T., Malgwi, W.B., 2011. Spatial variability of soil physicochemical properties in Kadawa irrigation project in Sudan Savanna Agroecology of Nigeria. International Journal of Agricultural Research 6(10), 714–735. https://doi.org/10.3923/ijar.2....
 
2.
Adongo, T.A., 2019. Assessment and modelling of reservoir sedimentation of selected irrigation dams in Northern Ghana. PhD thesis, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.
 
3.
Adongo, T.A., Abagale, F. K., Kranjac-Berisavljevic, G., 2015. Soil quality of irrigable lands of irrigation schemes in Ghana. International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering and Technology 2(8), 314–326.
 
4.
Agyare, W.A., 2004. Soil characterization and modeling of spatial distribution saturated hydraulic conductivity at two sites in the Volta Basin of Ghana. PhD thesis, Curvillier Verlag Goettingen, Germany.
 
5.
Ali, M.H., 2010. Practices of irrigation and on-farm water management. Vol. 2, Springer, New York.
 
6.
Ayoubi, S., Zamani, S.M., Khormali, F., 2007. Spatial variability of some soil properties for site specific farming in northern Iran. International Journal of Plant Production 1(2), 225–236.
 
7.
Cambardella, C.A., Moorman, T.B., Novak, J.M., Parkin, T.B., Karlen, D.L., Turco, R.F., Konopta, A.E., 1994. Field-scale variability of soil properties in Central Iowa soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal 58, 1501–1511.
 
8.
Carter, M.R., Gregorich, E.G. (Eds.). 2008. Soil sampling and methods of analysis. 2nd Edition, Taylor and Francis Group, Florida.
 
9.
De Carvalho, L.A., Meurer, I., Da Silva Jr., C.A., Centurion, J.F., 2012. Spatial variability of soil physical properties in two management systems in sugarcane crop. Engineering Agriculture, Jaboticabal 32(1), 60–68. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0100-....
 
10.
Driessen, P., Deckers, J. (Eds.) 2001. Lecture notes on the major soils of the world. World Soil Resources Reports No. 94. FAO, Rome, Italy. 307 pp.
 
11.
Fathi, H., Fathi, H., Moradi, H., 2014. Spatial variability of soil characteristics for evaluation of agricultural potential in Iran. Merit Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Soil Sciences 2(2), 24–31.
 
12.
Foth, H.D., 1990. Fundamentals of soil science. 8th ed. John Wiley and Sons, New York, USA.
 
13.
Gulser, C., Ekberli, I., Candemir, F., Demir, Z., 2016. Spatial variability of soil physical properties in a cultivated field. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 5(3), 192–200. https://dx.doi.org/10.18393/ej....
 
14.
Gyekye, P.M., Boateng, E., Sadick, A., Baffoe, J.A., Kabutey, B.T., Mensah, S.A., 2020. Soil and land suitability assessments towards sustainable rice production in the northern zone of Ghana. Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology 39(45), 36–51.
 
15.
Iqbal, J., Thomasson, J.A., Jenkins, J.N., Owens, P.R., Whistler, F.D., 2005. Spatial variability analysis of soil physical properties of alluvial soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal 69, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2....
 
16.
Jabro, J.D., Stevens, W.B., Evans, R.G., Iversen, W.M., 2010. Spatial variability and correlation of selected soil properties in the Ap Horizon of a CRP grassland. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 26(3), 419–428.
 
17.
Jackson, M.L., 1962. Soil chemical analysis. Prentice Hall, Inc. Eaglewood Cliffs, N.Y, USA.
 
18.
Khan, M.Z., Islam, M.R., Salam, A.B.A., Ray, T., 2021. Spatial variability and geostatistical analysis of soil properties in the diversified cropping regions of Bangladesh using geographic information system techniques. Applied and Environmental Soil Science, Volume 2021. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6....
 
19.
Lee, C.L., Strong, R., Dooley, K.E., 2021. Analyzing precision agriculture adoption across the globe: A systematic review of scholarship from 1999–2020. Sustainability 13, 10295. https://doi.org/10.3390/su1318....
 
20.
MacCarthy, D.S., Agyare, W.A., Vlek, P.L.G., Adiku, S.G.K., 2013. Spatial variability of some soil chemical and physical properties of an agricultural landscape. West African Journal of Applied Ecology 21(2), 47–61.
 
21.
Mensah, F.O., Alo, C., Yidana, S.M., 2014. Evaluation of groundwater recharge estimates in a partially metamorphosed sedimentary basin in a tropical environment: Application of natural tracers. The Scientific World Journal, vol. 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014...
 
22.
Oliver, M.A., Webster, R., 2014. A tutorial guide to geostatistics: Computing and modeling variograms and kriging. Catena 113, 56–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ca....
 
23.
Rasekoele, M.G., 2016. Spatial variability of hydric soil properties to delineate Khalong-la-Lithunya wetlands. Master’s thesis, National University of Lesotho, Lesotho.
 
24.
Saglam, M., Ozturk, H.S., Ersahin, S., Ozkan, A.I., 2011. Spatial variation of soil physical properties in adjacent alluvial and colluvial soils under Ustic moisture regime. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions 8, 4261–4280. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hess....
 
25.
Schabenberger, O., Pierce, F.J., 2002. Contemporary statistical models for the plant and soil sciences. CRC Press LLC., Florida.
 
26.
Shukla, M.K., 2011. Introduction to soil hydrology: Processes and variability of hydrological properties. [In:] Shukla M.K (Ed.) Soil hydrology, land use and agriculture: Measurement and modeling. CABI, London.
 
27.
Stolte, J., 1997. Manual for soil physical measurements. Version 3. Technical Document 37. DLO The Winand Staring Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
 
28.
Terribile, F., Coppola, A., Langelia, G., Martina, M., Basile, A., 2011. Potential and limitations of using soil mapping information to understand landscape hydrology. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions 8, 4927–4977. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hess....
 
29.
Tuffour, H.O., Abubakari, A., Bashagaluke, J.B., Djagbletey, D., 2016. Mapping spatial variability of soil physical properties for site specific management. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology 3(2), 149–163.
 
30.
Usowicz, B., Usowicz J.B., 2004. Spatial and temporal variation of selected physical and chemical properties of soil. [In:] B. Usowicz and R. T. Walczak (Eds.). Institute of Agrophysics PAS, Lublin, Poland.
 
31.
Webster, R., Oliver, M.A., 2007. Geostatistics for environmental scientists. Second Edition. John Wiley and Sons, West Sussex, England.
 
32.
Weddell, B., Brown, T., Borrelli, K., 2017. Precision agriculture. [In:] Kruger, C. & Yorgey, G. (Eds.), Advances in dryland farming in the Inland Pacific Northwest. Chapter 8, Washington State University Extension, 319–352.
 
33.
Wilding, L.P., 1985. Spatial variability: It’s documentation, accommodation and implication to soil surveys. [In:] Nielsen, D.R. and J. Bouma (Eds.), Soil spatial variability. Pudoc, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
 
eISSN:2300-4975
ISSN:2300-4967
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top