DIGITAL MAPPING OF SOIL PROPERTIES AND CLASSES AT UFSCAR - ARARAS/SP, BRAZIL

Digital soil mapping (DSM) is a valuable tool for natural resource conservation and management studies. It requires soil knowledge, compilation of environmental data (climate, geology, vegetation, and relief), followed by data and image analysis and interpretation. This study aimed to collect data from the experimental area of the Center for Agricultural Sciences (CCA-UFSCar, Araras-SP campus) and transform them into images to show the spatial distribution of geomorphological features and physical and chemical attributes of the surface horizon. To this end, we used the geostatistical methodology for DSM, using Kriging with the exponential semivariogram model. We could map the distribution of areas (blocks), relief, soil classes, as well as sand, clay, pH, organic matter (OM), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), potential acidity (H+Al), sum of bases (SB), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and base percentage (V%) of the Ap horizon. The methodology used allowed the spatial visualization of this information, which had been heavily used in research by the extinct IAA-Planalsucar from 1973 to 1990 and, since 1991, by UFSCar. This information is an auxiliary tool in the analysis and interpretation of scientific studies conducted at this experimental station.