Key properties for delineating soil management zones

At present, it is possible to obtain rich data sets on soil variability. However, there is a need to select independent key properties to identify management zones. In a previous study focusing on loess soil, we identified the electrical conductivity measured with a soil sensor, topsoil pH and elevation as key properties. In this study the number of soil properties was enlarged and a sandy soil was targeted. Surprisingly, we identified the same variables as key properties. They were used to delineate management classes and an excellent multiple regression model could be constructed between yield and the key properties.