Environmental and Soil Nutrient Determinants of Crop Yield Across Diverse Agricultural Locations
Keywords:
crop yield, environmental factors, soil nutrients, spatial variability, sustainable agricultureAbstract
Agricultural productivity varies widely from location to location depending in large part on environmental factors and soil nutrient availability. This study examines the relationship between climatic variables, soil nutrient characteristics and crop yield using a secondary agricultural dataset of 2,000 observations across 16 states, 1,330 district identifiers, 10 crop types and 5 years (2020 through 2024). Descriptive statistics, location-based comparisons, the Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were used to assess the relationship of rainfall, temperature, humidity, soil nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, soil pH, and crop yield. There was significant variability in crop yields across the different crops and states, and significant differences in productivity across agricultural locations. But the pooled analysis revealed weak relationships between rainfall, temperature, humidity, soil nitrogen, soil phosphorus, soil potassium, and soil pH and crop yield. Additionally, the regression model accounted for a very small amount of the variation in overall yield, with none of the environmental or soil characteristics considered having a statistically significant independent relationship with yield. These results suggest that the productivity of the crops in different agricultural sites may be determined by complex interactions between the crop type, the local environment, soil conditions and the management. It emphasizes the need for location-specific and crop-specific assessment, better monitoring of soil resources, and integrated resource management to enhance efficient and sustainable agricultural production.
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