Author(s): OLDONI, H.; BASSOI, L. H.

Summary: The objective of this work was to delineate irrigation management zones using geostatistics and multivariate analysis in different combinations of physical and hydraulic soil properties, as well as to determine the optimal number of management zones in order to avoid overlaping. A field experiment was carried out in a Quartzipsamment, for two years, in an irrigated orchard of table grape, in the Senador Nilo Coelho Irrigation Scheme, in the municipality of Petrolina, in the state of Pernanbuco, Brazil. Soil samples were collected for the determination of soil physico-hydraulic properties. A portable meter was used to measure soil apparent electrical conductivity. Spatial distribution maps were generated using ordinary kriging. Management zones for five different combinations of soil properties were defined using the fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm, and two indexes were applied to determine the optimal number of management zones. Two combinations of soil properties can be used in the management zone planning in order to monitor soil moisture.

Publication year: 2016

Types of publication: Journal article

Unit: Embrapa Semi-arid Region

Keywords: Agricultura de precisão, Condutividade elétrica aparente do solo, Fuzzy c-means, Geoestatística, Geostatistics, Irrigation planning, Planejamento da irrigação, Precision agriculture, Semiárido, Soil apparent electrical conductivity, Solo, Spatial variability, Variabilidade espacial