International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology

Citation: IJAEB: 8(2): 309-314 June 2015

DOI Number: 10.5958/2230-732X.2015.00038.8

©2015 New Delhi Publishers. All rights reserved

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS

Kriging Approach for Estimating Deficient Micronutrients in

the Soil: A Case Study

GarimaȱShukla 1 ,ȱG.C.ȱMishra 1 *ȱandȱS.K.ȱSingh 2

1 Section of Agricultural Statistics, Department of Farm Engineering, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University,

Varasnai-221005, India.

2 Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar

Pradesh, India.

*Corresponding author: gcmishrabhu@gmail.com

Paper No. 322

Received: 2 July 2014

Accepted: 6 May 2015

Published: 29 June 2015

Abstract

Soilȱsurveying,ȱtestingȱandȱmappingȱareȱimportantȱoperationsȱforȱknowingȱavailabilityȱofȱnutrientsȱ

andȱmicronutrientsȱinȱtheȱsoilȱandȱtheirȱoptimumȱuseȱforȱagriculturalȱoperation.ȱTheȱmainȱobjectiveȱofȱ

presentȱstudyȱwasȱtoȱestimateȱtheȱcontentȱofȱdeficientȱmicronutrientsȱnamelyȱZn,ȱBȱandȱFeȱinȱtheȱsoilȱofȱ

KashiȱVidyapeethȱblockȱofȱVaranasiȱDistrictȱofȱUttarȱPradesh,ȱ(India)ȱatȱdifferentȱlocationsȱbyȱusingȱtestȱ

resultsȱofȱsampledȱsoils.ȱTheȱKrigingȱinterpolationȱmethodȱ(Krige,ȱ1951)ȱwasȱusedȱforȱpreparingȱtheȱmapsȱ

toȱshowȱspatialȱdistributionȱofȱdeficientȱmicronutrients.ȱTheȱmethodȱcanȱbeȱusedȱforȱrecommendingȱ

judiciousȱapplicationsȱofȱmicronutrientsȱforȱsustainableȱsoilȱmanagement.

Highlights

Krigingȱ interpolationȱ methodȱ wasȱ usedȱ toȱ prepareȱ variousȱ mapsȱ byȱ whichȱ valueȱ ofȱ deficientȱ

micronutrientsȱcanȱbeȱestimatedȱatȱdifferentȱlocations.

Keywords: Krigingȱinterpolation,ȱvariogramȱmodel,ȱspatialȱdistribution,ȱmicronutrients.

Soilȱ managementȱ inȱ sustainableȱ agricultureȱ inȱsmallȱquantitiesȱinȱtheȱsoilȱandȱmostȱofȱtheȱcropsȱ

isȱ aȱ challengeȱ toȱ achieveȱ foodȱ securityȱ forȱ theȱ areȱsensitiveȱtoȱdeficienciesȱofȱtheseȱmicronutrients.ȱ

future,ȱ throughȱ properȱ nutrientȱ managementȱ andȱ Micronutrientȱ deficiencyȱ inȱ soilȱ hasȱ becomeȱ wideȱ

appropriateȱsoilȱconservationȱpractices,ȱsustainableȱ spreadȱinȱrecentȱyearsȱconsequentlyȱlowȱcropȱyields,ȱ

naturalȱ resourceȱ managementȱ andȱ biodiversityȱ moreȱ soȱ afterȱ theȱ introductionȱ ofȱ highȱ yieldingȱ

protection.ȱSoilȱisȱaȱstoreȱhouseȱofȱwater,ȱmacroȱandȱ cropȱvarietiesȱcoupledȱwithȱtheȱuseȱofȱhighȱanalysisȱ

micronutrientsȱ toȱ plants,ȱ filterȱ forȱeffluents-wastes,ȱ fertilizerȱ andȱ increasedȱ croppingȱ intensity.ȱ Theȱ

andȱhabitatȱtoȱorganismsȱandȱisȱcriticalȱforȱrecyclingȱ sustainableȱ productivityȱ ofȱ aȱ soilȱ mainlyȱ dependsȱ

elementsȱ vitalȱ forȱ plantȱ growth.ȱ Itȱ playsȱ aȱ majorȱ uponȱitsȱabilityȱtoȱsupplyȱessentialȱnutrientsȱtoȱtheȱ

roleȱinȱdeterminingȱtheȱsustainableȱproductivityȱofȱ growingȱplants.ȱStillȱinadequateȱattentionȱisȱpaidȱtoȱ

anȱagro-ecosystem.ȱItȱisȱtheȱfoundationȱofȱsurvivalȱ theȱeffectsȱofȱmicronutrientȱdeficienciesȱinȱsoilsȱandȱ

forȱ presentȱ andȱ futureȱ generationsȱ (Kumarȱ andȱ cropsȱ onȱ livestockȱ andȱ humanȱ deficiencyȱ diseases.ȱ

Babelȱ 2011).ȱ Withoutȱ healthyȱ soilȱ goodȱ agricultureȱ Soilȱ fertilityȱ mapsȱ areȱ meantȱ forȱ highlightingȱ theȱ

canȱ neverȱ beȱ thought.ȱ Micronutrientsȱ playȱ aȱ vitalȱ nutrientȱneeds,ȱbasedȱonȱfertilityȱstatusȱofȱsoilsȱ(andȱ

roleȱ inȱ maintainingȱ soilȱ healthȱ andȱ consequentlyȱ adverseȱ soilȱ conditionsȱ whichȱ needȱ improvement)ȱ

productivityȱofȱcrops.ȱTheȱmicronutrientsȱareȱpresentȱ toȱ realizeȱ goodȱ cropȱ yieldsȱ (Thakorȱ et al. ȱ 2014).ȱ