Analysis of the physical attributes and salinity of soils is important for proposing management strategies in irrigated areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial dependence of the granulometric fractions and electric conductivity of the saturation extract in an area irrigated in the semi-arid of Pernambuco State. A 5 x 5m regular mesh was adopted, with 98 sampling points collected at depth 0-20cm. The variables have been analysed through statistics and geoestatistics. The variation coefficients of the saturation extract were 26.08; 14.81; 16.01 and 28.00% for sand, clay, silt and electrical conductivity of the saturation extract, respectively. The spatial dependence was identified as high for the granulometric fractions and as moderate for the electric conductivity, with ranges of 56; 50 and 55 and 35m, respectively. The electric conductivity has a strong spatial correlation with silt content, presenting range of 52m, for the cross semivariogram. The results highlight the importance of the silt fraction in the spatial distribution of salinity in loam soils, and its relevance for adequate management of these soils.
geoestatistics; electric condutivity; loam soils
