Geospatial and magnetic assessment of soil and relief of the farming lands at the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine

Summary The precision farming require the study the heterogeneity of soil. Relief is one of the key factors of spatial heterogeneity of soil, which affects the redistribution of nutrients and the development of erosion. The intensity of water erosion directly depends on the relief, as well as the redistribution of moisture in the fields. The aim of the present study is to investigate relief of the territory as a basis for spatial variability of soil properties, crop yields, and soil magnetic susceptibility (MS). The geospatial methods in combination with the magnetic measurements were attracted. The experiment was performed for chernozem soil of Lotivka Elit LLC (Khmelnytsky region) and for the Greyic Phaeozems Albic of Kononi area (Poltava region) at the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine. The fertility of soil was different according to depressions of the relief, acidity and low phosphorus content. Depending on the relief, the content of mineral nitrogen and exchangeable potassium has not been established. The soil properties, erosion, and relief condition are in close relation to the soil magnetic susceptibility. Assessment of the relief allows to predict soil erosion and increase the fertility.