Scholarly record

MULTITEMPORAL SPECTRAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INTRAFIELD SOIL FERTILITY HETEROGENITY ZONES OF NORTHERN KAZAKHSTAN ARABLE LANDS

Vasily Rashkovich, Д. И. Рухович, D. Borschev

Abstract

New methods for assessing soil cover heterogeneity, based on the analysis of extensive satellite data using neural network filtering technologies, were implemented to evaluate the territory of northern Kazakhstan. A comparative analysis of the quality of soil cover structure (SCS) determination, using remote sensing data, was conducted using two different methods. The first method is indirect and involves determining the SCS by analyzing and aggregating multitemporal vegetation indices (MVI). The second method is unique and involves determining the spectral neighborhood of the soil line in RED-NIR space. The soils in the study area are characterized by southern chernozems with varying thickness and humus content. The heterogeneity of the soil cover is largely influenced by the microrelief of the terrain. Soils on watershed and upland surfaces are typically eroded and less moist, resulting in reduced thickness and lower humus content compared to soils located on slopes and in depressions. Field research established a relationship between SCS, MVI, and open soil surface (OSS). The reliability and accuracy of the developed OSS method, when applied to the soils of northern Kazakhstan, were confirmed. The structure of the soil cover is crucial for agriculture, especially in conditions of moisture deficiency in the dry steppe zone. The determination of soil heterogeneity using the OSS method represents a powerful new tool for creating a cartographic basis for precision agriculture. Utilizing OSS maps as the basis for task maps, differentiated fertilizer application in the studied area demonstrated high effectiveness, resulting in a threefold increase in lentil yield.

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