Soil patterns as a factor of crop heterogeneity

Crop heterogeneity constitutes the basis for taking managerial decisions in precision farming systems. Although the general perception is that heterogeneity within a plot is related to heterogeneity of soil cover, this needs further study and remains an active subject of research. This paper examines the relationship between the heterogeneity of different crops in the Tula region of the Russian Federation based on vegetation observations during the period 2015-2020 with the mapping units of a large (scale 1:10,000) soil map. NDVI values calculated from Sentinel-2 satellite data were used as a measure of crop heterogeneity. The comparison of NDVI values and the soil mapping units showed that there is a degree of correlation which, however, was not particularly high. Results indicate that correlation depends on the crop type, the phenological phase of vegetation, as well as on the meteorological conditions during the vegetation season, the soil moisture and the presence of weeds. It could be concluded that the soil map alone cannot be used as a reliable source for explaining crop heterogeneity in the Tula region and that other factors should be considered. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.