Evaluation of alternative techniques to traditional laboratory analysis for prediction of attributes in agricultural soils: approaches using VisNIR, XRF and LIBS spectroscopy

• Grant number: 17/21969-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2018
• End date: January 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy
• Principal Investigator: José Paulo Molin
• Grantee: Tiago Rodrigues Tavares
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/05345-2 - MULTI-SENSOR, DATA-FUSION AND PREDICTIVE COMPUTATIONAL MODELS TO ACCESS SOIL FERTILITY ATTRIBUTES, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Mapping of the spatial variability of soil attributes through georeferenced samples and laboratory analyzes is limited by the cost and time demanded. In order to increase the density of soil sampling points, with no need for additional costs with laboratory chemical analysis, efforts are being applied to the improvement of different sensing techniques. Proximal sensing by VisNIR spectroscopy has potential for inferences about chemical and physical attributes of tropical soils, but quantitative analyzes of available macronutrients have shown inconsistent results. To cover this information gap we are looking for new sensing tools, among them elementary analysis sensors, such as LIBS and XRF; which has recently become portable with the technological advancement. These equipments allow inferring about total nutrient contents and were still little explored within the scope of Precision Agriculture and proximal soil sensing. Thus, the project aims to evaluate the individual and synergistic potential of the XRF, LIBS and VisNIR sensors for the prediction of fertility attributes in tropical soils. Three separate steps will be done sequentially. In the first one, the sensors will be applied on pre-processed samples foasllowing reference protocols, in order to evaluate the potential of each sensor for the prediction of the attributes of interest, as well as to evaluate the relations between total and available nutrients. In the second step, the synergistic use of the sensors will be explored, evaluating the performance of the data combination to increase the accuracy of the predictions. Finally, in the third stage, the efficiency of sensors will be evaluated when used in soil samples simulating the conditions of granulometry and humidity found in the field, in order to infer the minimum sample preparation for in situ applications of these sensors. It is expected at the end of the assessments to indicate the potential and limitations of the use of these tools to predict soil fertility attributes. (AU)

Scientific publications

(8)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

TAVARES, TIAGO RODRIGUES; MOLIN, JOSE PAULO; NUNES, LIDIANE CRISTINA; WEI, MARCELO CHAN FU; KRUG, FRANCISCO JOSE; DE CARVALHO, HUDSON WALLACE PEREIRA; MOUAZEN, ABDUL MOUNEM. Multi-Sensor Approach for Tropical Soil Fertility Analysis: Comparison of Individual and Combined Performance of VNIR, XRF, and LIBS Spectroscopies. AGRONOMY-BASEL, v. 11, n. 6, JUN 2021. (17/21969-0, 04/15965-2)

TAVARES, TIAGO RODRIGUES; NUNES, LIDIANE CRISTINA; ALVES, ELTON EDUARDO NOVAIS; DE ALMEIDA, EDUARDO; MALDANER, LEONARDO FELIPE; KRUG, FRANCISCO JOSE; DE CARVALHO, HUDSON WALLACE PEREIRA; MOLIN, JOSE PAULO. Simplifying Sample Preparation for Soil Fertility Analysis by X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry. SENSORS, v. 19, n. 23, DEC 2019. (18/08877-2, 17/21969-0)

TAVARES, TIAGO RODRIGUES; MOLIN, JOSE PAULO; NUNES, LIDIANE CRISTINA; NOVAIS ALVES, ELTON EDUARDO; MELQUIADES, FABIO L.; PEREIRA DE CARVALHO, HUDSON WALLACE; MOUAZEN, ABDUL MOUNEM. Effect of X-Ray Tube Configuration on Measurement of Key Soil Fertility Attributes with XRF. REMOTE SENSING, v. 12, n. 6, MAR 2 2020. (18/08877-2, 17/21969-0)

TAVARES, TIAGO R.; MOUAZEN, ABDUL M.; NUNES, LIDIANE C.; DOS SANTOS, FELIPE R.; MELQUIADES, FABIO L.; DA SILVA, THAINARA R.; KRUG, FRANCISCO J.; MOLIN, JOSE P.. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for tropical soil fertility analysis. SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH, v. 216, FEB 2022. (04/15965-2, 17/21969-0, 20/16670-9)

MOLIN, JOSE PAULO; TAVARES, TIAGO RODRIGUES. SENSOR SYSTEMS FOR MAPPING SOIL FERTILITY ATTRIBUTES: CHALLENGES, ADVANCES, AND PERSPECTIVES IN BRAZILIAN TROPICAL SOILS. Engenharia Agrícola, v. 39, n. SI, p. 126-147, SEP 2019. (17/21969-0)

JOSÉ PAULO MOLIN; TIAGO RODRIGUES TAVARES. SENSOR SYSTEMS FOR MAPPING SOIL FERTILITY ATTRIBUTES: CHALLENGES, ADVANCES, AND PERSPECTIVES IN BRAZILIAN TROPICAL SOILS. Engenharia Agrícola, v. 39, p. 126-147, 2019-09-09. (17/21969-0)

TAVARES, TIAGO RODRIGUES; MOLIN, JOSE PAULO; JAVADI, S. HAMED; CARVALHO, HUDSON WALLACE PEREIRA DE; MOUAZEN, ABDUL MOUNEM. Combined Use of Vis-NIR and XRF Sensors for Tropical Soil Fertility Analysis: Assessing Different Data Fusion Approaches. SENSORS, v. 21, n. 1, JAN 2021. (17/21969-0)

TAVARES, TIAGO RODRIGUES; MOUAZEN, ABDUL MOUNEM; NOVAIS ALVES, ELTON EDUARDO; DOS SANTOS, FELIPE RODRIGUES; MELQUIADES, FABIO LUIZ; PEREIRA DE CARVALHO, HUDSON WALLACE; MOLIN, JOSE PAULO. Assessing Soil Key Fertility Attributes Using a Portable X-ray Fluorescence: A Simple Method to Overcome Matrix Effect. AGRONOMY-BASEL, v. 10, n. 6, JUN 2020. (18/08877-2, 17/21969-0)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

TAVARES, Tiago Rodrigues. VNIR, XRF, and LIBS spectroscopies for soil sensing on precision agriculture. 2021. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC) Piracicaba.