Influence of Differential Liming on the Fertility of Sod Podzolic Soil

Purpose. To identify the effects of differential liming on fertility indicators of sod‑podzolic soil in the Polissia region of Ukraine. Methods. The study was carried out on a 133‑ha field in Zhytomyr Polissia in 2017–2025. Field methods with elements of precision farming were applied, including automated soil sampling using an adaptive grid, and laboratory agrochemical and physico‑chemical analyses of soil. Spatial interpretation of indicators was performed using GIS technologies and kriging interpolation. Results. The initial agrochemical state of the soil was characterised by spatial heterogeneity of acidity: pH(1:1) values ranged from 4.6 to 7.0, with strongly acidic and acidic areas accounting for more than 35% of the total field area. Organic matter content varied between 1.3 and 2.9%, available phosphorus between 17 and 119 mg/kg, potassium between 32 and 92 mg/kg, and exchangeable calcium between 61 and 1201 mg/kg. Application of differential liming based on spatial acidity maps led to significant improvement in agrochemical indicators. In the residual effect of liming, soil reaction stabilised at pH 6.3–7.3 across more than 70% of the field, indicating effective neutralisation of excessive acidity. Availability of mobile phosphorus after liming generally corresponded to high and very high levels, while potassium showed a more balanced spatial distribution with concentrations up to 117 mg/kg. Exchangeable calcium increased on average by 18–35% depending on the liming zone, and exchangeable magnesium by 3–12 mg/kg. At the same time, average organic matter content decreased by 0.3–0.4% due to intensified microbiological mineralisation under optimised acidity conditions. Despite the rise in pH, the concentration of mobile zinc did not decline but instead increased by 0.05–0.10 mg/kg, maintaining overall spatial uniformity. Conclusions. The results indicate that differential liming ensures not only neutralisation of acidity but also substantial equalisation of agrochemical soil indicators, ensuring favourable conditions for improved fertilisation efficiency and the implementation of precision farming technologies.