What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aims to assess soil pH and electrical conductivity variability in cultivated soils across various states in India and examine environmental influences.

May 18, 2026Open Access

Understanding spatial distribution variability of surface soil reaction and electrical conductivity in cultivated soils of India as influenced by some environmental factors

Key Points

The study aims to assess soil pH and electrical conductivity variability in cultivated soils across various states in India and examine environmental influences.
Collected 237,496 georeferenced surface soil samples from 29 states in India.
Analyzed samples for soil pH and electrical conductivity, correlating them with elevation, maximum temperature, and rainfall.
Utilized ordinary kriging technique to create interpolation maps of soil pH and electrical conductivity distribution.
Soil pH ranged from 2.80 to 10.2 with a mean of 6.98, and electrical conductivity ranged from 0.01 to 7.75 dS m−1 with a mean of 0.31 dS m−1.
Soil pH correlated negatively with elevation, average annual maximum temperature, and average annual rainfall.
93.1% of the study area had soil EC values of ≤ 0.50 dS m−1, indicating low salinity levels.

Abstract

Assessing and mapping spatial distribution variability of soil reaction (alkalinity and acidity denoted as soil pH) and electrical conductivity (EC) in cultivated areas is crucial for degradation monitoring, precision soil fertility management, and sustainable crop production. The distribution of soil reaction and EC is affected by several factors together with elevation (E), temperature and rainfall. We assessed spatial distribution variability of soil reaction and EC in cultivated areas of 29 states of India, and evaluated the relationship of soil pH and EC with E, average annual maximum temperature (AAMT), and average annual rainfall (AAR). Altogether, 237,496 georeferenced and representative surface (depth of 0 to15 cm depth) soil samples were collected, and processed. Subsequently, processed soil samples were analyzed for soil pH and EC. Soil pH varied from 2.80 to 10.2 (mean ± SD 6.98 ± 1.16) with coefficient of variation of 16.64%. Whereas, EC values ranged from 0.01 to 7.75 dS m−1 (mean ± SD 0.31 ± 0.30 dS m−1) with CV of 96.30%. Soil pH was negatively and significantly correlated with E, AAMT, and AAR. Whereas, soil EC was positively and significantly correlated with E, and negatively and significantly correlated with AAMT, and AAR. The semivariogram analysis resulted in exponential best-fitted model both for soil pH and EC with the lowest MSE and RMSE values. Soil pH (nugget / sill ratio 0.35) and EC (nugget / sill ratio 0.57) had moderate spatial dependence. The interpolation maps, developed by ordinary kriging technique, revealed diverse distribution shapes for soil pH and EC in different states, and agro-ecological regions of India. About 9.7, 18.8, and 31.2% area had soil pH of > 4.5 to ≤ 5.5, > 5.5 to ≤ 6.5, and > 6.5 to ≤ 7.5, respectively. Whereas, 34.6 and 5.6% area had pH value of > 7.5 to ≤ 8.5, and > 8.5, respectively. About 93.1 and 6.7% study area had soil EC value of ≤ 0.50, and > 0.50 to ≤ 1.00 dS m−1, respectively. The generated soil pH and EC maps could be used as reference for local and regional scale policy making, and adoption of suitable soil-crop management strategies for effective soil acidity and salinity management in the study area in order to achieve improved soil health, land degradation neutrality, and sustainable crop production.

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Cite This Study

Behera et al. (Fri,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a0aabf55ba8ef6d83b6f95a https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-52844-6

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