Spatial Variability of Soil Acidity and Lime Requirements for Potato Cultivation in the Huánuco Highlands

Abstract

Soil acidity is a major limiting factor for potato production in Peru’s high Andean region. This study aims to predict the spatial variability of soil acidity as a fundamental tool for recommending site-specific liming treatments and to identify the physical–chemical characteristics most closely related to soil acidity. The soil samples were collected from five locations in the province of Pachitea, Huánuco. Descriptive statistics, principal component analysis (PCA), and Pearson correlation analysis were used to identify the soil properties contributing most to total variance and those most strongly correlated with soil acidity. The ordinary geostatistical kriging method evaluated the predictive accuracy for 23 soil properties and liming requirements over a 28,463 ha area, at a spatial resolution of 10 m. Results showed that the Plaza Punta and Buenos Aires locations had more degraded acidic soils, with frequencies between 55% and 100% above the general mean (30.94 ± 24.87%) and the critical threshold (25%) for potato cultivation. Variables such as exchangeable calcium percentage (ECP), Ca2+, Mg2+, sand content, and organic matter strongly correlated with soil acidity, while exchangeable H+ and ECP were the main contributors to the total variance. Geostatistical analysis revealed that Mg2+ and Ca2+ had the highest R2 values (0.87 and 0.76, respectively), indicating a strong fit between observed and predicted values in the spatial analysis of soil acidity. It is concluded that the agricultural dolomite requirements in the localities of Plaza Punta and Buenos Aires exhibit high spatial predictability. Additionally, the analysis of diverse soil physicochemical properties is emphasized as critical for determining precise application rates.