Temporal and Spatial Variation of Soil Quality Depending On Land Use Management.

Soil management practices are the major reasons of short distance variation of soil properties in an agricultural field. Our objective was to assess the effect of ten years of rice cultivation on soil quality by evaluating selected soil physical and chemical properties. Topsoil (0 to 20 cm) and subsoil (20 to 40 cm) were separately sampled at each of 94 predetermined sampling points based on an irregular grid design in a 45 ha area (Typic Ustifluvents) in 2001 and 2011. Soil quality was quantified using aggregate stability, bulk density and soil texture as physical properties and pH, EC, organic matter and available phosphorus and potassium as chemical properties. Soil quality and soil indicators calculated for 2001 and 2011 were compared to evaluate the effects of long term water ponding.