Predicting Fertility and Properties of Sugarcane Soil Series via Soil Color
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Abstract
Soil color, shaped by pedo-chemical reactions, is one of the most immediately perceptible soil properties, which often reflects the underlying parent material that influences specific soil characteristics. Thus, making it an essential soil physicochemical, biological, and fertility indicator for farmers. This study examined the relationship between soil color (value and chroma) and physicochemical and fertility parameters including Percent Organic Carbon (% OC); pH (H₂O and CaCl₂); Total Nitrogen (N); Available Phosphorus (P); exchangeables Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), and Aluminum (Al); Exchangeable Iron (Fe), Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), and Particle Size Distribution (% clay, silt, and sand) in soil samples collected from depths of 0–30 cm (topsoil) and 30–60 cm (subsoil) across different soil series (Guimbalaon, Isabela, Luisiana, San Manuel, and Silay) under sugarcane cultivation. The study showed significant results, indicating strong correlations between soil color and physico-chemical and fertility parameters at both depths. In the topsoil, % OC, and exchangeables Mg and K showed significant correlations with soil color value, while in the subsoil, significant correlations were found for pH (CaCl₂), exchangeables Mg and K, and extractable Fe. Similarly, soil color chroma was significantly correlated in the topsoil with % OC, exchangeables Mg and Na, % clay, % sand, and pH (H₂O); in the subsoil, significant correlations were observed for % OC, exchangeables Mg, Na, and Ca, total N, CEC, % clay, and % sand. These findings underscore the potential of soil color as a valuable indicator of soil physicochemical and fertility properties in sugarcane-cultivated soils.
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