Geostatistical Analysis for Spatial Characterization of Soil Properties in Vinh Long Province, Viet Nam

The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of geostatistical methods for assessing the spatial distribution of soil characteristics in the Ben Tre area (formerly Ben Tre province) of Vinh Long province, as a basis for evaluating soil fertility and orienting agricultural production. The study collected and analyzed data from 1363 survey locations to determine the spatial distribution of soil characteristics. The Kriging technique was used to interpolate the soil properties, including pH _KCl , bulk density, cation exchange capacity (CEC), total dissolved salts (TDS), SO ₄ ^2- , total N, total P, total K, and organic matter. Cross‐checking of interpolation results was also evaluated. Spatial interpolation results produced a distribution map of nine indicators, showing that soil pH in the area is mostly highly acidic or somewhat acidic, which affects crop nutrient uptake. Soil bulk density varies across areas due to physical properties. Uneven distributions of CEC and TDS put some areas at risk of saline intrusion. Soluble sulfate (SO ₄ ^2- ), total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and organic matter (OM) levels vary across regions, influencing crop yields and quality. The study indicates that using geographical statistics and Kriging interpolation to identify the spatial distribution of soil attributes saves time, labor, and expenses, guides planning, and increases the value of agricultural soil. Although the interpolation models are quite complex, the proposed method can assess the spatial variability of soil fertility characteristics. However, some issues remain, such as the number of samples, the characteristics of each soil parameter, and the difficulty of using interpolation models to capture the dataset’s extreme values. Otherwise, these findings inform agricultural land‐use management and planning, helping researchers and managers improve soil fertility.