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Relative assessment and spatial ranking of soil fertility in agricultural fields using agrochemical and erosion indicators


Citation :- Relative assessment and spatial ranking of soil fertility in agricultural fields using agrochemical and erosion indicators. Res. Crop. 27: 264-273
A.. A. TUBALOV AND A. V. KOSHELEV tubalovlexa1@rambler.ru
Address : Federal State Budget Scientific Institution «Federal Scientific Centre of Agroecology Complex Melioration and Protective Afforestation of the Russian, Academy of Sciences» (FSC of Agroecology RAS), 400062 Volgograd, Russia
Submitted Date : 5-03-2026
Accepted Date : 10-04-2026

Abstract

Assessment of parameters characterising the actual state of soil fertility and the development of degradation processes is essential for organizing crop rotation systems and planning reclamation activities in agricultural enterprises; however, the lack of integrated approaches combining agrochemical and erosion indicators limits accurate field-level decision-making. The study was conducted from December 2023 to December 2025 at the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Center for Agroecology, Integrated Land Reclamation, and Protective Afforestation of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FSC ‘Agroecology’ RAS),” with the objective of developing a methodology for the relative assessment and ranking of soil fertility in agricultural fields. Agrochemical soil survey data, including humus, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content, were used as source materials for assessing soil fertility and were supplemented with remote sensing data on erosion processes, particularly the number and length of gullies. The methodological basis for data integration involved multiparameter statistical procedures, including standardization of indicators, assignment of points, determination of parameter weights, final summation, and standardization of weighted scores. The results enabled ranking of agricultural fields into four soil fertility categories: high, medium, low, and very low, and further classification based on erosion intensity into fields with maximum, moderate, and minimal erosion. A combined analysis of agrochemical fertility indicators and erosion development facilitated identification of the most promising areas for production intensification and implementation of reclamation measures. The developed methodology proved effective for ranking agricultural lands based on soil fertility status and potential efficiency of agricultural technology application, thereby supporting improved land management decisions.

Keywords

Agrochemical erosion field structure heterogeneity soil soil fertility

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