This book reports on developments in Proximal Soil Sensing (PSS) and high resolution digital soil mapping. PSS has become a multidisciplinary area of study that aims to develop field-based techniques for collecting information on the soil from close by, or within, the soil. Amongst others, PSS involves the use of optical, geophysical, electrochemical, mathematical and statistical methods. This volume, suitable for undergraduate course material and postgraduate research, brings together ideas and examples from those developing and using proximal sensors and high resolution digital soil maps for applications such as precision agriculture, soil contamination, archaeology, peri-urban design and high land-value applications, where there is a particular need for high spatial resolution information. The book in particular covers soil sensor sampling, proximal soil sensor development and use, sensor calibrations, prediction methods for large data sets, applications of proximal soil sensing, and high-resolution digital soil mapping. Key themes: soil sensor sampling – soil sensor calibrations – spatial prediction methods – reflectance spectroscopy – electromagnetic induction and electrical resistivity – radar and gamma radiometrics – multi-sensor platforms – high resolution digital soil mapping - applications Raphael A. Viscarra Rossel is a scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) of Australia. Alex McBratney is Pro-Dean and Professor of Soil Science in the Faculty of Agriculture Food & Natural Resources at the University of Sydney in Australia. Budiman Minasny is a Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Agriculture Food & Natural Resources at the University of Sydney in Australia.

With the growing popularity and availability of precision equipment, farmers and producers have access to more data than ever before. With proper implementation, precision agriculture management can improve profitability and sustainability of production. Precision Agriculture Basics is geared at students, crop consultants, farmers, extension workers, and practitioners that are interested in practical applications of site-specific agricultural management. Using a multidisciplinary approach, readers are taught to make data-driven on-farm decisions using the most current knowledge and tools in crop science, agricultural engineering, and geostatistics. Precision Agriculture Basics also features a stunning video glossary including interviews with agronomists on the job and in the field.

This book reports on developments in Proximal Soil Sensing (PSS) and high resolution digital soil mapping. PSS has become a multidisciplinary area of study that aims to develop field-based techniques for collecting information on the soil from close by, or within, the soil. Amongst others, PSS involves the use of optical, geophysical, electrochemical, mathematical and statistical methods. This volume, suitable for undergraduate course material and postgraduate research, brings together ideas and examples from those developing and using proximal sensors and high resolution digital soil maps for applications such as precision agriculture, soil contamination, archaeology, peri-urban design and high land-value applications, where there is a particular need for high spatial resolution information. The book in particular covers soil sensor sampling, proximal soil sensor development and use, sensor calibrations, prediction methods for large data sets, applications of proximal soil sensing, and high-resolution digital soil mapping. Key themes: soil sensor sampling – soil sensor calibrations – spatial prediction methods – reflectance spectroscopy – electromagnetic induction and electrical resistivity – radar and gamma radiometrics – multi-sensor platforms – high resolution digital soil mapping - applications Raphael A. Viscarra Rossel is a scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) of Australia. Alex McBratney is Pro-Dean and Professor of Soil Science in the Faculty of Agriculture Food & Natural Resources at the University of Sydney in Australia. Budiman Minasny is a Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Agriculture Food & Natural Resources at the University of Sydney in Australia.

Sensing Approaches for Precision Agriculture aims to bring together the ‘state of the art’ of the most popular sensing techniques and the current state of research on the application of sensors in Precision Agriculture (PA). Sensing is of great value in PA because it provides cheap and immediate data for management. This book gives a broad overview of sensing in PA and a coherent introduction for new professionals and research scientists. Readers are introduced to the potential applications of a range of different sensors, how they should be used properly and their limitations for use in PA. Chapters on specific topics and case studies provide depth and enable implementation of the methods by users. A general introduction about sensing techniques in PA is followed by Chapters 2–9 on the most important specific techniques in sensing and Chapters 10–13 include mini-case studies, each showing cutting-edge applications for different sensing methods. Finally, there is an Epilogue on how we expect sensors and analysis to develop.

This collection reviews key advances in sensor technology, including developments in proximal and remote sensing techniques to measure and monitor crop health, weeds and diseases.

"Precision agriculture uses information technologies to improve the economic, environmental and social aspects of modern farming. Among other innovations, the ability to account for spatial variability in the crop growing environment has been the most challenging. The main limitation to the widespread adoption of these technologies has been the lack of economically feasible spatial data to reveal the heterogeneity of soil properties related to local fertilization needs. To increase the implementation of this technology, advanced equipment and methods to obtain high density measurements of the physical and chemical properties of soil at a relatively low cost are essential. The quality of data needed by decision-making algorithms must be improved; this needs the development of, an automated sensing platform for in situ soil measurements, similar to the rovers deployed on Mars. The project focuses on this challenge. The thesis addressed three key aspects of the development of the technology: 1) design of an automated on the-spot soil analyser, 2) evaluation of the potential for deploying different hyperspectral sensor systems, and 3) development of an algorithm to cluster multilayer high density spatial data to maximize the value of prescribed point-based measurements. A new automated, on-the-spot soil analyser (OSA) was developed to perform subsurface measurements of soil chemical properties. It used an array of ion-selective electrodes and could simultaneously determine pH and nitrate, on-the-spot, in an automated manner. The system can be easily extended to use other sensors, such as active, hyperspectral sensors. A set of field deployment-ready instruments for active hyperspectral measurements of soil reflectance were tested in terms of both their reproducibility (precision) and predictability (accuracy) of the measurements and evaluated in terms of their ability to predict soil particle size distribution, soil carbon, soil organic matter, and total soil phosphorous content. This research focused on instruments operating in the visible, near-infrared and mid-infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Finally, a new algorithm was developed to process traditional high-density proximal soil sensing data, such as apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) and field elevation. Preliminary tests of the algorithm using six production fields illustrated the algorithm's robustness when delineating field areas with different field elevations and ECa measurements. This algorithm has the potential to optimize the number of point-based measurements with OSA, other in situ sensing systems, or conventional soil sampling. Six individual research activities resulted in six different manuscripts that constitute the main body of this thesis. " --

Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and a first-rate source for the latest research in agronomy. As always, the subjects covered are varied and exemplary of the myriad of subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial. - Maintains the highest impact factor among serial publications in agriculture - Presents timely reviews on important agronomy issues - Enjoys a long-standing reputation for excellence in the field