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First Conference on Proximal Sensing Supporting Precision Agriculture
- Conference date: September 6-10, 2015
- Location: Turin, Italy
- Published: 06 September 2015
1 - 20 of 32 results
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Increasing the Number of Calibration Samples in DSM by In-situ Vis-NIR Spectroscopy
Authors J. Wetterlind and K. PiikkiSummaryRemote and proximal sensors allow for the collection of data at a high resolution and to low costs, but for the approach to be cost-effective the number of calibration samples needs to be kept low. On the other hand, too few calibration samples can lead to unstable calibration models. In a small study on three adjacent fields (55 ha) at a farm in southwest Sweden, in-situ vis-NIR spectroscopy was used to increase the number of calibration samples used in a multiple adaptive regression spline (MARS) model for mapping clay and sand content. The present study did not find support for an improvement of MARS models when the number of calibration samples was increased from 20 to 100 by vis-NIR predictions of the 80 extra samples. This was probably because the 20 soil samples carried enough information to calibrate the exhaustive predictor data to sand and clay and all the extra samples did was only introduced noise. There were some indications of more stable models when the number of reference samples was reduced to 10 or when the best single predictor was excluded. In this study the number of calibration samples seemed to be less critical than their accuracy.
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Comparing EM38 and Profiler-EMP400 for the Delineation of Homogeneous Management Zones within Agricultural Fields
Authors B. Ortuani, E.A. Chiaradia, S. Priori, G. L’Abate, D. Canone, M. Mele, A. Comunian, M. Giudici and A. FacchiSummaryThe improvement in crop yield, both in quantity and quality, depends on the adoption of appropriate management strategies for the agronomic and irrigation practices. The adoption of site-specific (SS) management practices is fundamental, not only to improve crop yield, but also for a more efficient use of resources, increasing the environmental sustainability of the agricultural production The SS management requires the delineation of sub-regions with similar yield limiting factors or similar soil properties affecting yield (Site Specific Management Units – SSMU). It is a common practice in precision agriculture (PA) to characterize the spatial variability of soil properties, measuring the soil electrical conductivity through non-invasive electro-magnetic (EM) sensors to obtain high-resolution soil maps for the delineation of SSMUs.
Because of the expanding use in the future of the multi-frequency EM sensors in order to more effectively assess the soil variability, the objective of this work is to compare the measurements collected by Geonics EM38 (the most widely used EM sensor in PA) and GSSI Profiler-EMP400 (a multi-frequency EM sensor) in order to assess their reliability to delineate SSMUs. The data from 2-D electrical resistivity imaging were used to compare the response of the two different sensors to soil variability.
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Use of the Lost Seismic Information about Upper Part of Geological Structure for Development of Precise Agriculture
Authors S.A. Onyshchenko and O.K. TyapkinSummaryOne of the main tasks of development of precise agriculture is research spatial heterogeneity of key parameters of soil fertility and first of all of varying humidity. For the estimation of borders of “management units” with various humidity (and as a result with various parameters of fertility) is possible to use seismic data about the velocity characteristic of the upper part of geological structure. It is traditionally considered that this part of a geological cross section has no the useful prospecting information and it’s only hindrance in seismic data processing and integrated interpretation of geological-geophysical data. Other opportunities by us are shown. This is determination and mapping of velocity characteristic of the upper part of a geological cross section for any seismic systems and energy sources (up to depth of tens of meters) without any additional special works in this part of geological section. The maps of this velocity characteristic are easily recalculated to the density and humidity and further may be used for the spatial prognostication of changes of humidity of soil for successful development of precise agriculure
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On the Use of Repeated EMI Measurements for Mapping Soil Moisture and Implications for Soil Mapping
Authors E. Martini, U. Werban, U. Wollschläger, M. Pohle, P. Dietrich and S. ZachariasSummaryElectromagnetic induction (EMI) methods are widely used for mapping soil properties at the field scale, including soil moisture (θ), with benefits for precision agriculture. Recent studies showed ambiguous results on the influence of θ on the measured bulk electrical conductivity (ECa). At the Schäfertal hillslope site (Germany), spatial distribution of soil properties as well as the spatial and temporal dynamics of θ patterns were studied in detail within an intensive hydrological monitoring. At the same time, repeated EMI surveys were conducted. with the aim to asses the suitability of repeated EMI surveys for mapping θ, and to investigate the limitations of its applicability for soil mapping. Results suggest that i) stable soil properties have the major effect on the EMI signal, while θ plays a minor role; ii) soil moisture may strenghten the ECa pattern when local soil properties control the θ pattern; iii) when the contribution of other factors is considerable, ECa patterns related to stable soil properties may be partially hidden. In conclusion, EMI measurements carried out under unsuitable hydrological conditions may lead to misinterpretation of soil properties, therefore combined pedological and hydrological expertise is necessary to support proximal soil sensing campaigns, with benefits for precision agriculture practices.
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Multi-receiver EMI to Support Precision Agriculture within the Western Front Zone
Authors T. Saey, M. Van Meirvenne and S. DelefortrieSummaryElectromagnetic induction (EMI) sensing has proven effective to support site-specific soil management for precision agriculture. Within the Western World War (WW I) front zone, invasive practices are hampered by the presence of unexploded ammunition. Therefore, non-invasive EMI sensing has the potential to provide both information about the soil variability and the presence of buried metal objects. With this research, both could be separated deliberately.
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Electromagnetic and Self-potential Investigation to Detect Seepage of Irrigation Canals
Authors D. Canone, A. Godio and S. FerrarisSummaryWe adopted electromagnetic induction (EMI) and self-potential measurements along irrigation canal bank in order to detect groundwater seepage. The EMI methods is sensitive to the electrical conductivity of the subsoil, that is affected by the salt and clay content and water content. The depth of investigation depends on the soil electrical conductivity, the geometry of the instrument and the frequency of the electromagnetic field.
The experimental data refers to anintegrated survey along a transect on an irrigation canals (400 m). We acquired broadband electromagnetic data using a Profiler EMP400 (GSSI), with coil separation of 1.22 m and a bandwidth ranging from 1 to 15 kHz.
The self-potential measurements were performed with a fixed electrode and a moving electrode along the same transect of EMI measurements. The interval spacing among self-potential measurements was 2 m. Visual inspection of the canal permitted to compare the evidence of seepage losses with the geophysical anomalies. The results of self-potential measurements show peaks of electrical potential at the same position of electrical conductivity anomalies. Integration of the EMI survey and SP measurements is useful to detect seepage losses from canals: a more detailed analysis of self potential anomalies is required to reduce “false” alarms.
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Mapping Soil Heterogeneity Using Spatially Constrained Inversion of Electromagnetic Induction Data
Authors J.B. Pedersen, E. Auken, A.V. Christiansen and S.M. KristiansenSummaryPrecision agriculture applications rely on highly detailed information on variations in soil properties. This demand has led to recent developments in EMI instrumentation, resulting in stable and high data quality. The reliability of the data enables real non-linear inversion providing true formation resistivity with depth. With the aim of mapping soil heterogeneity, an EMI survey has been carried out in the central part of Jutland, Denmark. The collected data were carefully processed prior to inversion in order to remove any couplings from man-made conductors such as buried electrical cables, which can cause errors in the lithological interpretation. The data were subsequently modelled with a 1D layered spatially constrained inversion which takes the entire EMI data geometry into account. The inversion results gives a detailed quasi tree-dimensional image of the survey area, revealing several small scale resistivity variations which corresponds well with existing geological knowledge.
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Prediction of Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in Forest Soil Using Laboratory Visible and Near-infrared Spectroscopy
Authors F. Lucà, M. Conforti, G. Matteucci and G. ButtafuocoSummaryThe aim of this paper was to analyse the potential of laboratory Vis–NIR spectroscopy to determine organic carbon and nitrogen in a representative forest area of the Calabria region (south Italy). To do that, calibration models based on laboratory Vis–NIR spectroscopy and PLSR analysis were developed separately for soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N). Soil samples (0–20 cm-depth) were collected at 216 locations, oven-dried and passed through a 2 mm sieve and and analyzed to estimate SOC and N concentrations. Subsequently the Vis-NIR reflectance of each soil sample was measured in laboratory, under artificial light, using an ASD FieldSpec IV 350 – 2500 nm spectroradiometer (Analytical Spectral Devices Inc., Boulder, Colorado, USA). In order, to develop models based on soil spectra and reference laboratory data of SOC and N, Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used. Before applying the PLSR, spectra data were split into a calibration (144 samples) to develop the models and a validation set (72 samples) to assess the prediction accuracy of the calibration models. Results revealed a high level of agreement between measured and predicted values with high R2 and RMSE; model validation with independent data was satisfactory for both the studied soil properties.
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Application of Electromagnetic Induction to Monitor Changes in Soil Electrical Conductivity Profiles in Arid Agriculture
Authors K.Z. Jadoon, M.F. McCabe and D. MoghadasSummaryIn this research, multi-configuration electromagnetic induction (EMI) measurements were conducted in a corn field to estimate variation in soil electrical conductivity profiles in the roots zone. Electromagnetic forward model based on the full solution of Maxwell’s equation was used to simulate the apparent electrical conductivity measured with EMI system (the CMD mini-Explorer). Joint inversion of multi-configuration EMI measurements were performed to estimate the vertical soil electrical conductivity profiles. The inversion minimizes the misfit between the measured and modeled soil apparent electrical conductivity by DiffeRential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis (DREAM) algorithm, which is based on Bayesain approach. Results indicate that soil electrical conductivity profiles have low values close to the corn plants, which indicates loss of soil moisture due to the root water uptake. These results offer valuable insights into future potential and emerging challenges in the development of joint analysis of multi-configuration EMI measurements to retrieve effective soil electrical conductivity profiles.
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Assessment of Soil Quality Indicators in Degraded Areas of Southern Italy Using Vis-NIR Spectroscopy
Authors V. Ancona, R. Salzano, R. Salvatori, R. Matarrese, C. Campanale, A. Calabrese and V.F. UricchioSummaryRapid, precise and quantitative assessment of soil quality is crucial for sustainable evaluation and monitoring of the effects of management on soil resource under agricultural systems and for the characterization and monitoring of land degradation processes. Over the past three decades, Visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy have been shown to be an effective alternative to conventional laboratory analysis, and can provide time and cost effective approaches for the prediction of several soil properties related to soil quality indicators. For this study, VIS-NIR spectroscopic and chemometric analysis were employed for the assessment of soil quality indicators in three degraded areas (two survey sites depleted in organic carbon and one polluted by organic and inorganic compounds) located in Southern Italy (Apulia Region). The soil reflectance properties in the wavelengths range between 350 – 2500 nm were measured in three experimental sites(fields) selected for the project, before and after a recovery treatment by using compost (organic fertilizer). The objectives was to evaluate the efficiency of soil VIS-NIR spectra for prediction of selected soil indicators closely related to soil quality in Mediterranean areas, such as those investigated in this study, affected by land degradation processes (contamination and/or organic carbon impoverishment).
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Comparison between 1D Inversion of Geophilus Data and 2D Inversion of Wenner Array Data
Authors J. Guillemoteau and E. LückSummaryWhen comparing the sensitivity function of the automatic resistivity profiler GEOPHILUS to the one of the WENNER array, one can see that the GEOPHILUS system is especially well designed for a 1D interpretation.
In this study, we therefore compare the 1D inversion of GEOPHILUS data to the 2D inversion of WENNER data on a selected test site where the ground trust is known. The results show that the 1D inversion of GEOPHILUS data provides similar tomograms as the 2D inversion of WENNER data. In the future, the 1D interpretation will be a first choice for processing large GEOPHILUS data sets.
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The Influence of Fertilization on Electrical Conductivity Data
By E. LueckSummaryThe influence of fertilizer on apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) was investigated in laboratory and in field. Long-term experiments are well suitable to study the changes in soil organic matter and its influence on ECa, but also on-farm experiments over one season cause a variability in biomass and yield and consequently in electrical values.
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Enhanced Strategies for the Retrieving of the Propagation Velocity in the Soil from the Shape of the Diffraction Curves
Authors R. Persico, M.L. Matera, M.L. Mertens, L.S. Lambot and C.M. CiminaleSummaryThis paper deals with the retrieving of the propagation velocity of the waves in the soil, making use of the diffraction curves present in common offset GPR data. The objective is to provide a global semi-heuristic analysis of the data able to mitigate the problem of the size of the targets that generate the diffraction curves. In particular, we propose a method where the buried targets are not a-priori assumed to be pointlike.
The analysis has been validated on real data gathered in the field on tree roots, and the method has been implemented making use of a commercial code.
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Electrical Resistivity Tomography and Electromagnetic Soundings for Exploration of Glyphosate in Soil and Groundwater
Authors C.M. Sainato, B.N. Losinno, H.J. Malleville, A.F. Lemeillet, R.A. Espada and E. A. PaganoSummaryThe glyphosate is an herbicide which is widely used in Argentina. The impact of its application on soil and groundwater is still unknown. The objective of the paper was to identify, anomalies of apparent electrical conductivity ECa associated with the presence of glyphosate in the soil or groundwater.
Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and electromagnetic (EMI) soundings were performed at a rural zone: a background site without any application of the herbicide (Chac), another plot with application of glyphosate (Ran), and another plot (Scho) at a zone with frequent application of the herbicide.
The results of ECa in the soil obtained with both methods do not show great contrasts between Chac and Ran. At Scho, the values of ECa were greater than other sites, 70.5 mS/m (EMI) and 60 mS/m (ERT). Glyphosate reached 52 ng/g in soil and 0.94 ng/l in groundwater.
The increase of the apparent electrical conductivity was mainly associated with the site that has been exposed to glyphosate application steadily over time, through the sprays that are made around it.
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Monitoring Different Irrigation Strategies Using Surface ERT
Authors L. De Carlo, A. Battilani, D. Solimando, A. Lo Porto and M.C. CaputoSummaryThe huge demand of fresh water for irrigation together with water scarcity encourages the reuse of wastewater as a water resource in agricultural practices.
The efficient use of wastewater, combined with irrigation strategies, could led to save water within an integrated management of water resources. ERT (Electrical Resistivity Tomography) technique could represent an useful tool to estimate the crop water requirements, the soil moisture and the impact of using poor quality water on crop and soil.
In an experimental site close to Bologna (north of Italy), two different water saving irrigation techniques, Partial Root-zone Drying (PRD) and Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI), combined with brackish secondary treated wastewater and fresh water were tested in an irrigated corn crop.
Particularly, during an irrigation cycle, lasted almost 72 hours, soil drainage through water uptake by the roots and the structural changes of the soil due to the poor quality of the used irrigation water, have been observed by means ERT survey in order to support water management models.
Site specific petrophysical relationships ρ-θ have been obtained in laboratory to convert electrical resistivity into soil moisture content. Water content images, derived by ERT, were calibrated both by means the soil water content measured in laboratory on the undisturbed samples, and the soil moisture sensors installed in the field.
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An Integrated Geophysical-geochemical Approach for Soil Precision Mapping in a Cinque Terre Vineyard (Italy)
Authors R. De Ferrari, S. Barani, E. Poggi, M. Brancucci, R. Vegnuti, G. Brancucci, P. Marescotti and M. SolimanoSummaryThe study has presented an integrated approach to viticultural soil characterization using geophysical and geochemical methods. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the presence of geophysical and geochemical anomalies in soil within a vineyard located in well-known Cinque Terre Zone, North-Western Italy. To this scope soil and bedrock features have been studied with electromagnetic induction (EMI) and spettrophotometry method: both the methods have allowed to realize maps of conductivity anomalies values and major chemical elements distribution respectively for the investigated area. Although still at a preliminar stage, the results presented here are encouraging, indicating a good agreement between EMI and EDXRF data. The geological heterogeneity of the study area is clearly reflected both in the conductivity data and in the geochemical composition of the near-surface soils examined. The approach applied here can be extended to larger agricultural areas used by the agrofood industry, either alone or with the aim of integrating data from standard approaches based on pedological analysis. Correlation among data of different nature can nowadays be simply examined through the use of GIS software
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Integrating Archaeological Prospection Data into Precision Agriculture Systems in the UK
By H. WebberSummarySoil variation is fundamental to Precision Agriculture. Precision Agriculture systems utilise a number of different data sets from a number of different sources to identify variation and understand its causes. Thus making it manageable.
Archaeological investigations often rely on geophysical surveys (using a number of methods but particularly magnetic gradiometry), satellite imagery, elemental analysis and soil coring among many others to investigate areas of variation that may have connection to archaeological sites.
Both of these data sets have significant potential to overlap spatially and yet no research has questions the use of archaeological data for supporting Precision Agriculture.
This research tests that theory at a test site in Dorset, UK. The results show that in this case, soil zones could be made more accurate due to archaeological data. New areas of variation could also be found as well as better characterisation of those areas by combining archaeological data with Precision Agriculture systems.
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Improving the Kriging of Soil Attributes Using Soil Electrical Conductivity as External Drift
Authors P.S. Graziano Magalhaes and G.M. SanchesSummarySoil Electrical conductivity (ECa) are not directly related to the soil attributes used to make management decisions. Nevertheless, this information provide an opportunity to oriented soil sampling based on its pattern, rapidly and at a relatively low cost. This paper discuss how Kriging with external drift (KED), using low-density orientated soil sampling, based in ECa, can be used to provide reasonable soil attribute maps. The results are compared with other 4 different strategies. An example of lime recommendation at variable rate is presented. The results show that KED had clear advantages over the other methods when using fewer sample points.
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Validating and Adapting Regional Soil Maps for Precision Agriculture
Authors K. Piikki and M. SöderströmSummaryA remote sensing-based method for digital soil mapping of texture and organic matter content has been developed in an area with variable geology around Kvänum in central Sweden. It was validated at different resolutions and for different extents. It was found that the mapping procedure worked very well at farm resolution. At the extent and resolution relevant for precision farming, i.e. within-field variation, the regional models performed worse. However, this could be remedied to some extent by using a few soil samples to choose the locally best model. This approach will be implemented in an interactive web application, where farmers can provide soil samples to locally improve regional soil maps for their own fields.
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Three Proximal Sensors to Map Homogeneous Harvest Zones in Chianti D.O.C.G. (Tuscany, Italy) - The Oenological Results
Authors S. Priori, G. Valboa, S. Pellegrini, M. Leprini, R. Perria, P. Storchi and E.A.C. CostantiniSummaryFarmers adopting precision viticulture usually subdivide the vineyards through mapping the vigour of the grapevines. However, the reasons of the low vigour of the grapevines are often unclear and not associated to soil functionality. The spatial variabily of soil functionality within vineyards can be mapped at high detail by proximal soil sensing methods.
This case study want to test the use of different type of sensors, such as gamma-ray spectrometer, georesistivimeter and electromagnetic induction sensor, to map two large homogeneous zones (HZs) within two vineyards.
The quality of the wines produced in each HZ was tested for three consecutive years (2012-‘13-‘14).
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