Corn Cultivation and Its Relationship with Soil Quality: A Focus on Soil Quality Index Methodologies

Eloy Conde-Barajas, María de la Luz Xochilt Negrete-Rodríguez, Dioselina Álvarez-Bernal, Francisco Paúl Gámez-Vázquez, Marcos Alfonso Lastiri-Hernández, Honorio Patiño-Galván, Guillermo Antonio Silva-Martínez, Fabiola Estefanía Tristán-Flores and Héctor Iván Bedolla-Rivera ()
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Eloy Conde-Barajas: Posgrado de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Tecnológico Nacional de México/IT de Celaya, Celaya 38010, Mexico
María de la Luz Xochilt Negrete-Rodríguez: Posgrado de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Tecnológico Nacional de México/IT de Celaya, Celaya 38010, Mexico
Dioselina Álvarez-Bernal: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Unidad Michoacán, Jiquilpan 59510, Mexico
Francisco Paúl Gámez-Vázquez: Campo Experimental Bajío, INIFAP, Celaya 38010, Mexico
Marcos Alfonso Lastiri-Hernández: Tecnológico Nacional de México/ITS Los Reyes, Los Reyes 60330, Mexico
Honorio Patiño-Galván: Posgrado de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Tecnológico Nacional de México/IT de Celaya, Celaya 38010, Mexico
Guillermo Antonio Silva-Martínez: Posgrado de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Tecnológico Nacional de México/IT de Celaya, Celaya 38010, Mexico
Fabiola Estefanía Tristán-Flores: Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Tecnológico Nacional de México/IT de Celaya, Celaya 38010, Mexico
Héctor Iván Bedolla-Rivera: Posgrado de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Tecnológico Nacional de México/IT de Celaya, Celaya 38010, Mexico

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-21

Abstract: Corn is a globally important crop, requiring extensive soils and intensive practices to meet the growing human and animal consumption demand. However, intensive agriculture has caused soil deterioration and fertility loss. In response, the Mexican government established the National Soil Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture (ENASAS, acronym in Spanish) to ensure food security and maintain soil fertility. This study develops “Soil Quality Indexes” ( S Q I ) to monitor soil quality under corn cultivation using four methodologies (additive ( S Q I a ), weighted ( S Q I w ), unified weighted ( S Q I u ), and Nemoro ( S Q I n )) in the Bajio region of Guanajuato, Mexico. Twenty-four physicochemical indicators were analyzed, with four (CLY, WHC, Na, and C/N) identified as key indicators of soil quality and fertility through principal component analysis. Among these, S Q I a was the most sensitive and efficient (SI = 2.32, ER = 50) in assessing soil quality, showing values from very low to low ( S Q I a = 0.13 and S Q I a = 0.39 respectively). Aligned with the ENASAS program, S Q I a can help monitor and improve soil quality under corn cultivation, supporting food security through soil conservation. Moreover, S Q I a performed similarly to the globally recognized Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF), making it a valuable tool for managing and improving agricultural soil quality under similar conditions in both Mexico and worldwide.

Keywords: soil quality; agricultural soil; indexes; soil fertility; physicochemical indicators (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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