SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES AND AGRONOMIC VARIABLES OF AN EXPERIMENTAL CITRUS ORCHARD AT JERÔNIMO MONTEIRO (ES) - BRAZIL

Abstract

The objective of this work was to study the spatial variability of soil physical attributes and productivity variables in a citric orchard using geostatistict techniques. The experiment was carried in 2007 in an citrus orchard experimental area on a Oxisol located in the Jerônimo Monteiro (ES) municipality - Brazil. The soil samples were taken at regular grid points, with 5 m intervals, at 0-0.20 m depth. The soil physical attributes presented spatial variability with moderate dependence reason for all the variable, excluding thick sand (AG) and fine sand (AF). The AG and the AF present an inverse behavior comparing with clay (AR) in the spatial distribution, ratified by the high significant negative correlation of -0,80 (p<0,05). The spatial distribution of sand and clay comparing with number of fruits (NFP) and total mass of fruits per plant (MFP), presents some apparently similarity. However, a negative and not significant correlation is observed between the spatial distribution of (AR) with (NFP) and (MFP).