Detailed pedological mapping and management zones: characteristics, applications, and complementarity between approaches

• Grant number: 24/14044-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Lucas Rios do Amaral
• Grantee: Derlei Dias Melo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola (FEAGRI). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/03160-8 - Soil spatial variability mapping and optimized sampling supported by sensing techniques: bases for a more efficient and sustainable precision agriculture, AP.PNGP.PI
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/12175-7 - Protocols for Sampling and Spatial Prediction in Precision Agriculture: An Integrated Approach to Generate Applied Guidelines, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The management of crops based on the delineation of management zones (MZ) is considered one of the main objectives of precision agriculture (PA) because it reduces the need for costly periodic investigations, which often rely on manual sampling and laboratory analyses. This approach would make area management much more efficient and sustainable. However, the delimitation of soil mapping units based on landscape relationships and soil types is considered by pedology to be the appropriate method for subdividing agricultural areas. Thus, this research aims to analyze and contrast both approaches. To this end, the extensive database from the three experimental areas of the main project will be utilized. Methods for variable selection and clustering will be explored for constructing the MZ, testing the performance of different scenarios. With the detailed pedological mapping (DPM) and the MZ with the best possible configuration, the remaining variability across each unit/zone will be assessed in terms of variations in vegetation vigor, productivity, and soil quality parameters, seeking to infer which method best encompassed the spatial behavior of the study areas. This will allow a thorough understanding of the variability present in the areas, its causes, and its impact on production, so that site-specific management recommendations are efficient and enable the adoption of precision agriculture in a more sustainable manner.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MELO, DERLEI D.; CUNHA, ISABELLA A.; AMARAL, LUCAS R.. Hierarchical Stratification for Spatial Sampling and Digital Mapping of Soil Attributes. AGRIENGINEERING, v. 7, n. 1, p. 17-pg., 2025-01-01. (24/14044-4, 23/02592-4, 22/03160-8)