Identificación de potencialidades y limitaciones de suelos agrícolas del estado lara, venezuela

The Chemistry and Soil Department of the Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado, in the center western of Venezuela, has one of the most important soil database of the region; however, it has not been used to identify the edaphic factors affecting agricultural production. The objective of this study was to identify main soil constraints and potentials from the principal agricultural areas of the Lara State. Data from pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), content of clay, silt, sand, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium and aluminum of 20 years period were analyzed. The data were georeferenced on a 1:100,000 base map and locating on it, the Quibor depression plain and the piedmont areas. By using previous studies, soils quality categories were developed for classification of each of the evaluated variables and an analysis of their main components was performed, to study the samples distribution as a function of those variables. Results indicate that soils of piedmont areas presented high values of P and OM, being its main limitation low pH and high Al values, while soils from low areas, presented a high nutrient availability, but limitations resulting from their high silt and clay content, and EC values, which become on problems of surface sealing, crusting, erosion and salt affectation.