ANALYSIS OF THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOILS IN THE AGROECOSYSTEMS OF THE TUNSHI EXPERIMETAL STATION

In Ecuador, about 49 per cent of land is degraded and 22 per cent is in the process of desertification. Taking into account these data and because the studies on this problem of degradation at the national or regional level have been minimal, in search of possible solutions this issue has been raised as a research project. The Tunshi Experimental Station (TSE) was divided into 3 zones known as high, middle and low zone. The study was supported with the use of geographic information systems (GIS) and chemical and physical analyses were performed in the TotalChem laboratory located in the Ambato canton. The parameters analyzed were the hydrogen potential (pH) in which the following data were obtained: high zone = 7.38, middle zone = 7.60 and low zone = 7.24. In the texture, for the 3 zones a textural class of a sandy loam soil was obtained. Stop the content of organic matter (OM) we have for the high zone = 3.0%, medium zone = 2.9% and low zone = 4.0%. While in the electrical conductivity (EC) the following data were obtained: high zone = 0.21mmhos/cm, middle zone = 0.22mmhos/cm and low zone = 0.20mmhos/cm. Considering the data obtained through the analysis of both physical and chemical soils, it is possible to propose proposals to improve the quality of soils at the Tunshi Experimental Station through the implementation of different agroecological or soil conservation practices. In the middle and lower zone there are no soils that are in degradation processes since they have percentages of 4.3% and 4.0% of organic matter respectively, that is, they maintain a biological activity within the established parameters. The pH being an indicator of the availability of nutrients, the values for the middle and low zone are 7.38 and 7.24 respectively, that is, they are soils with practically neutral pH. While in the high zone the value is 7.60, which makes it a soil with a slightly alkaline pH, according to Cartagena, this area presents a possible excess of Ca, Mg and carbonates, low solubility microelements and a possible need to treat the soil with amendments such as gypsum because the development of several crops is inhibited.