ASSESSMENT OF SPATIAL HETEROGENEITY OF AGROPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF ARABLE SOILS FOR PRECISION TILLAGE

The assessment of spatial heterogeneity of structural-aggregate composition, hardness and bulk density of soil was carried out using statistical and geostatistical data processing methods, which included empirical Bayesian kriging and spatial autocorrelation (Moran's index). The research was carried out on the example of arable soils of territorial objects, located in the area of the Left Bank Forest Steppe of Ukraine. It was found that the presence of heterogeneous relief forms within the objects, uneven distribution of precipitation, and the influence of economic activity significantly influenced the formation of small-scale soil heterogeneity. It was proved that the content of the lumpy (> 10 mm) and dusty (< 0.25 mm) fractions was characterized by the greatest variability, while the density and hardness indicators showed little variability. The impact of the studied indicators on the formation of crop yields was evaluated. On the basis of the analysis of 2-D diagrams, the peculiarities of the spatio-temporal distribution of the investigated soil parameters were evaluated and the field delimitation into working plots for differentiating the methods and intensity of mechanical soil tillage is substantiated