The soiltestcorr R package: An accessible framework for reproducible correlation analysis of crop yield and soil test data

Abstract

The soiltestcorr R package is an open-source software designed to enable accessible and reproducible computation of correlation analyses between crop yield response to fertilization and soil test values. The package compiles a series of functions for analyzing soil test correlation data: (i) Cate & Nelson data partitioning procedure (graphical and statistical versions), (ii) nonlinear regression analysis (linear-plateau, quadratic-plateau, and Mitscherlich-type exponential models), and (iii) the modified arcsine-log calibration curve. The soiltestcorr enables users to correlate crop response to soil nutrient availability and estimate a critical soil test value and visualize results with ggplot without requiring advanced R programming skills. Finally, a web application that facilitates the use of the package is also offered for users with no background in R programming.

Keywords

• Programming
• Agriculture
• Soil fertility
• Crop nutrition