Abstract
Improving resource use efficiency, productivity, quality, and sustainability in agricultural production requires large soil datasets for high-resolution mapping. Proximal soil sensing (PSS) offers an alternative to the costly and time-consuming traditional laboratory analyses and field sampling procedures. This study aimed to outline a framework that would provide useful insights into selecting the most suitable PSS technique based on the soil properties of interest, through a comprehensive review of available literature and company surveys on costs and accuracies. The review focused on electromagnetic techniques, i.e., electromagnetic induction (EMI), ground penetrating radar (GPR), time- and frequency-domain reflectometry (TDR), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and gamma-ray (γ-ray) spectroscopy, one by one, or in a multi-sensor setup.
A total of 209 articles were reviewed. Normalized root mean square error was calculated to compare harmonized prediction accuracy metrics. Due to a lack of cost data, we performed a market analysis directed at companies through questionnaires, a unique aspect of this study. Results indicate that high accuracy is associated with point-based methods requiring direct contact (e.g., XRF and DRS for predicting soil organic carbon, acidity, and nitrogen). Among the on-the-go methods, EMI and γ-ray spectroscopy were popular, and their measurements were often combined for estimating soil texture and water content. Some studies highlighted GPR’s potential for estimating root zone, soil water and electrical conductivity. For the cost analysis, the twenty-four questionnaires collected from ten countries showed comparable costs across measurement efforts, data analysis, and reporting. The most requested service by farmers was soil texture mapping, followed by water content.
A total of 209 articles were reviewed. Normalized root mean square error was calculated to compare harmonized prediction accuracy metrics. Due to a lack of cost data, we performed a market analysis directed at companies through questionnaires, a unique aspect of this study. Results indicate that high accuracy is associated with point-based methods requiring direct contact (e.g., XRF and DRS for predicting soil organic carbon, acidity, and nitrogen). Among the on-the-go methods, EMI and γ-ray spectroscopy were popular, and their measurements were often combined for estimating soil texture and water content. Some studies highlighted GPR’s potential for estimating root zone, soil water and electrical conductivity. For the cost analysis, the twenty-four questionnaires collected from ten countries showed comparable costs across measurement efforts, data analysis, and reporting. The most requested service by farmers was soil texture mapping, followed by water content.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | Book of full papers : The Sixth Global Proximal Soil Sensing workshop |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Publication date | Oct 2024 |
| Pages | 20-26 |
| Article number | 7 |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2024 |
| Event | The Sixth Global Workshop on Proximal Soil Sensing: PSS 2024 - Ghent, Belgium Duration: 14 Oct 2024 → 17 Oct 2024 https://www.gpss-2024.com/ |
Conference
| Conference | The Sixth Global Workshop on Proximal Soil Sensing |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Belgium |
| City | Ghent |
| Period | 14/10/2024 → 17/10/2024 |
| Internet address |