TRANSITION FROM SYSTEMATIC TO DIRECTED SOIL SAMPLING DESIGNS IN AN AREA MANAGED WITH PRECISION AGRICULTURE

ABSTRACT In agricultural areas with a historical of systematic soil sampling, alternative methodologies such as directed sampling design based on management zones (MZ) have been proposed to reduce sampling costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the technical and economic impacts of replacing a dense systematic soil sampling design (cell size of 0.5 ha) by a systematic sampling with a smaller number of samples (cell size ranging from 1 to 4.5 ha), directed or conventional sampling design on the mapping of soil plant-available phosphorus (P), exchangeable potassium (K), and pHwater. The st...