Baseline high-resolution maps of soil nutrients in Morocco to support sustainable agriculture
Abstract Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are essential fertilizer elements whose recommendations require soil analysis tailored to crop-specific needs. However, in developing countries like Morocco, access to open databases on nutrient bioavailability remains limited, hindering data-driven agricult...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Scientific Data |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05699-x |
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| author | Yassine Bouslihim Abdelkrim Bouasria Ahmed Jelloul Lotfi Khiari Sara Dahhani Rachid Mrabet Rachid Moussadek |
| author_facet | Yassine Bouslihim Abdelkrim Bouasria Ahmed Jelloul Lotfi Khiari Sara Dahhani Rachid Mrabet Rachid Moussadek |
| author_sort | Yassine Bouslihim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are essential fertilizer elements whose recommendations require soil analysis tailored to crop-specific needs. However, in developing countries like Morocco, access to open databases on nutrient bioavailability remains limited, hindering data-driven agricultural strategies. This paper presents the first national reference maps of available P and exchangeable K at 250 m resolution over Morocco’s croplands using digital soil mapping with machine learning algorithms and environmental covariates. Unlike previous efforts employing traditional interpolation methods, these maps were developed using Random Forest by integrating 5,276 soil samples for P and 6,978 for K with 76 environmental covariates representing climate, topography, vegetation, and parent material. Model validation using independent test datasets demonstrated strong performance, with R2 values of 0.78 for P and 0.80 for K. Uncertainty assessment through bootstrapping confirmed prediction stability across diverse agricultural landscapes. These baseline maps enhance fertilizer recommendations, promote precision farming, and support agricultural sustainability. The maps are freely available through open-access repository, enabling evidence-based decision-making for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to improve nutrient management efficiency. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7c87bc39ff9f4648b7cf6a5dbf55760b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2052-4463 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Data |
| spelling | doaj-art-7c87bc39ff9f4648b7cf6a5dbf55760b2025-08-20T03:45:45ZengNature PortfolioScientific Data2052-44632025-08-011211910.1038/s41597-025-05699-xBaseline high-resolution maps of soil nutrients in Morocco to support sustainable agricultureYassine Bouslihim0Abdelkrim Bouasria1Ahmed Jelloul2Lotfi Khiari3Sara Dahhani4Rachid Mrabet5Rachid Moussadek6National Institute of Agricultural Research, INRAChouaib Doukkali UniversityDepartment of Soil Science and Agrifood Engineering, Laval UniversityDepartment of Soil Science and Agrifood Engineering, Laval UniversityFaculty of Sciences Ben M’sik, Hassan II University of CasablancaNational Institute of Agricultural Research, INRANational Institute of Agricultural Research, INRAAbstract Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are essential fertilizer elements whose recommendations require soil analysis tailored to crop-specific needs. However, in developing countries like Morocco, access to open databases on nutrient bioavailability remains limited, hindering data-driven agricultural strategies. This paper presents the first national reference maps of available P and exchangeable K at 250 m resolution over Morocco’s croplands using digital soil mapping with machine learning algorithms and environmental covariates. Unlike previous efforts employing traditional interpolation methods, these maps were developed using Random Forest by integrating 5,276 soil samples for P and 6,978 for K with 76 environmental covariates representing climate, topography, vegetation, and parent material. Model validation using independent test datasets demonstrated strong performance, with R2 values of 0.78 for P and 0.80 for K. Uncertainty assessment through bootstrapping confirmed prediction stability across diverse agricultural landscapes. These baseline maps enhance fertilizer recommendations, promote precision farming, and support agricultural sustainability. The maps are freely available through open-access repository, enabling evidence-based decision-making for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to improve nutrient management efficiency.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05699-x |
| spellingShingle | Yassine Bouslihim Abdelkrim Bouasria Ahmed Jelloul Lotfi Khiari Sara Dahhani Rachid Mrabet Rachid Moussadek Baseline high-resolution maps of soil nutrients in Morocco to support sustainable agriculture Scientific Data |
| title | Baseline high-resolution maps of soil nutrients in Morocco to support sustainable agriculture |
| title_full | Baseline high-resolution maps of soil nutrients in Morocco to support sustainable agriculture |
| title_fullStr | Baseline high-resolution maps of soil nutrients in Morocco to support sustainable agriculture |
| title_full_unstemmed | Baseline high-resolution maps of soil nutrients in Morocco to support sustainable agriculture |
| title_short | Baseline high-resolution maps of soil nutrients in Morocco to support sustainable agriculture |
| title_sort | baseline high resolution maps of soil nutrients in morocco to support sustainable agriculture |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05699-x |
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