Development of a Soil Quality Index for Soils under Different Agricultural Management Conditions in the Central Lowlands of Mexico: Physicochemical, Biological and Ecophysiological Indicators

Héctor Iván Bedolla-Rivera, María de la Luz Xochilt Negrete-Rodríguez, Miriam del Rocío Medina-Herrera, Francisco Paúl Gámez-Vázquez, Dioselina Álvarez-Bernal, Midory Samaniego-Hernández, Alfredo Josué Gámez-Vázquez and Eloy Conde-Barajas
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Héctor Iván Bedolla-Rivera: Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica, TNM/IT de Celaya, Ave. Tecnológico y A García Cubas No. 600, Celaya 38010, Guanajuato, Mexico
María de la Luz Xochilt Negrete-Rodríguez: Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica, TNM/IT de Celaya, Ave. Tecnológico y A García Cubas No. 600, Celaya 38010, Guanajuato, Mexico
Miriam del Rocío Medina-Herrera: Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica, TNM/IT de Celaya, Ave. Tecnológico y A García Cubas No. 600, Celaya 38010, Guanajuato, Mexico
Francisco Paúl Gámez-Vázquez: Campo Experimental Bajío, INIFAP, Carretera Celaya San Miguel de Allende Kilómetro 6.5, Celaya 38010, Guanajuato, Mexico
Dioselina Álvarez-Bernal: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional, Unidad Michoacán, Justo Sierra No. 28, Centro, Jiquilpan 59510, Michoacán, Mexico
Midory Samaniego-Hernández: Departamento de Ingeniería Ambiental, TNM/IT de Celaya, Ave. Tecnológico y A García Cubas No. 600, Celaya 38010, Guanajuato, Mexico
Alfredo Josué Gámez-Vázquez: Campo Experimental Bajío, INIFAP, Carretera Celaya San Miguel de Allende Kilómetro 6.5, Celaya 38010, Guanajuato, Mexico
Eloy Conde-Barajas: Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica, TNM/IT de Celaya, Ave. Tecnológico y A García Cubas No. 600, Celaya 38010, Guanajuato, Mexico

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 22, 1-24

Abstract: The Bajío—Mexico’s central lowlands—is a region of economic importance because of its agricultural industry. Over time, agricultural practices have led to soil deterioration, loss of fertility, and abandonment. In this study, six agricultural soils were analyzed: AGQ, CTH, CTJ, JRM, CRC, and CYI, and used to develop a soil quality index (SQI) that includes the use of physicochemical, biological, and ecophysiological indicators to differentiate soil quality. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used, reducing the indicators from 46 to 4, which represents 80.4% of data variability. It was implemented the equation of additive weights using the variance of the principal components as a weight factor for the SQI. The developed SQI was according to the indicators WHC, SLT, N-NO 3 − , and qCO 2 , differentiating the quality of soils from the agricultural management in low quality (JRM < CYI < AGQ) and moderate quality (CTJ < CRC < CTH). The use of biological and ecophysiological indicators added to the PCA and the equation of additive weights allowed establishing an SQI with a minimum of indicators, sensitive to agricultural management, facilitating its interpretation and implementation for the Mexican Bajío region and soils in similar conditions around the world.

Keywords: soil quality index; agricultural soils; principal component analysis; indicators; soil quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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