Assessing Spatial Variability of Soil Characteristics in Cereal-Cultivated Areas under Pivot Irrigation in Arid Regions: A Case Study in El Outaya, Biskra, Algeria

Abstract

The evaluation of agricultural production system sustainability in irrigated regions demands vigilant scrutiny of soil quality. In this investigation, we delve into the nuanced spatial variations of soil characteristics within cereal-cultivated areas employing a pivot irrigation system situated in El Outaya, Biskra, Algeria, located in the southeast Algeria. Two farmed sites and a control site (non-disturbed soil). were extensively investigated by systematic sampling, each comprising four years of wheat cultivation. pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), and equivalent calcium carbonate (total limestone) were rigorously measured. Our results show that pH in farmed soils ranged from moderately alkaline to slightly alkaline in the reference soil. Total limestone measurements suggested a strongly calcareous character across all sites with poor organic matter content, whereas electrical conductivity data indicated high salinity levels in cultivated soils and moderate salinity in the reference soil.The coefficient of variation for the examined parameters displayed minimal spatial variation in organic matter, with values of 40.99 %, 36.44 %, and 52.33 % for both cultivated sites and the reference soil, respectively. Regarding electrical conductivity, pivot 1 exhibited a coefficient of variation of 27.35 %, pivot 02 had 25.80%, and the reference soil displayed 17.08 %. Total limestone values were 17.46 %, 12.82 %, and 12.12 %, respectively, for the same locations. Conversely, pH values appeared to be relatively consistent, with values of 9.33 %, 6.75 %, and 2.13 % for pivot 01, pivot 02, and the reference soil, respectively.These findings underscore the profound impact of agricultural practices on soil characteristics, emphasizing the necessity for improved management strategies for agricultural water and soils to ensure the long-term sustainability of farming systems.