Fertility Research Data of Tsangano and Angonia districts, Mozambique

1. Overview
This dataset contains soil fertility data collected from Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production fields in Tsangano and Angónia districts, Tete Province, Mozambique. The data were generated as part of a study evaluating soil chemical and physical properties to identify nutrient limitations and support site-specific fertilizer recommendations for sustainable potato production.
Soil samples were collected from representative fields at 0–20 cm depth and analyzed for key fertility parameters, including soil pH (H₂O and CaCl₂), electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon (OC), organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (P), exchangeable potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation (BS), and micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn).
The dataset also includes field coordinates, sampling codes, land-use descriptions and date. The results were used to assess nutrient status, classify soil fertility levels, and support correlation and regression analyses related to potato yield and nutrient uptake.

2. File Structure
File name: Fertility_Data_Tsangano_Angonia.xlsx
The Excel file contains four sheets:
• Sheet 1 – Field_Information: Field codes, GPS coordinates (latitude, longitude), altitude, land use, and sampling date.
• Sheet 2 – Chemical_Properties: Soil pH (H₂O, CaCl₂), EC, OC, OM, TN, C:N ratio, available P, exchangeable K, Ca, Mg, Na, CEC, BS, ESP, and micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn).
• Sheet 3 – Physical_Properties: Soil texture (sand, silt, clay %).
3. Variable Description and Units
Variable Description Unit
Field_ID Sample or field code –
Latitude / Longitude Geographic coordinates Decimal degrees
pH_H2O / pH_CaCl2 Soil pH measured in water or 0.01 M CaCl₂ –
EC Electrical conductivity dS m⁻¹
OC Organic carbon %
OM Organic matter %
TN Total nitrogen %
C:N Carbon-to-nitrogen ratio –
P Available phosphorus (Mehlich 1 or 3) mg kg⁻¹
K, Ca, Mg, Na Exchangeable bases cmol(+) kg⁻¹
CEC Cation exchange capacity cmol(+) kg⁻¹
BS Base saturation %
ESP Exchangeable sodium percentage %
Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn Available micronutrients (DTPA extractable) mg kg⁻¹
Sand, Silt, Clay Particle size fractions %

4. Methodology
Soil analyses followed standard laboratory methods:
• pH: 1:2.5 soil:solution ratio
• OC: Walkley–Black wet oxidation
• TN: Kjeldahl digestion
• Available P, K, Ca, Mg, Na: Mehlich extraction
• Micronutrients: Mehlich extraction
• CEC: Ammonium acetate method
• Texture: Hydrometer method