Determining soil quality indicators by factor analysis

• Published in: Soil & tillage research 2006-06, Vol.87 (2), p.194-204
• Main Authors: Shukla, M.K., Lal, R., Ebinger, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: aeration; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; depth; Discriminant analysis; equations; Factor analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glycine max; groupings; Hydraulic conductivity; land use; landscape position; Mean weight diameter; methodology; monitoring; soil; soil aeration; soil analysis; Soil bulk density; soil factors; soil management; soil organic carbon; soil properties; soil quality; Soil quality indicator; Soil science; tillage; topography; Water infiltration; Water stable aggregation
• ISSN: 0167-1987; 1879-3444
• DOI: 10.1016/j.still.2005.03.011

Soil quality indicators (SQIs) can be used to evaluate sustainability of land use and soil management practices in agroecosystems. The objective of this study was to identify appropriate SQI from factor analysis (FA) of five treatments: no-till corn ( Zee mays) without manure (NT), no-till corn with manure (NTM), no-till corn–soybean ( Glycine max) rotation (NTR), conventional tillage corn (CT), and meadow (M) in Coshocton, Ohio. Soil properties were grouped into five factors (eigenvalues > 1) for the 0–10 cm depth as: (Factor 1) water transmission, (Factor 2) soil aeration, (Factor 3) soil pore connection 1, (Factor 4) soil texture and (Factor 5) moisture status. Factor 2 was the most dominant, with soil organic carbon (SOC) the most dominant measured soil attribute contributing to this factor. For the 10–20 cm depth, factors identified were: (Factor 6) soil aggregation, (Factor 7) soil pore connection 2, (Factor 8) soil macropore, and (Factor 9) plant production. At 10–20 cm depth, Factor 6 was most dominant with SOC the most dominant measured soil attribute. Management × sample and slope position × sample interactions were significant among some factors for both depths. Overall, SOC was the most dominant measured soil attribute as a SQI for both depths. Other key soil attributes were field water capacity, air-filled porosity, pH and soil bulk density for the 0–10 cm depth, and total N and mean weight diameter of aggregates for the 10–20 depth. Therefore, SOC could play an important role for monitoring soil quality.