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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 43(6)

Ultra-violet, visible, near-infrared, and mid-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopic techniques to predict several soil properties

Adam Pirie A , Balwant Singh A B and Kamrunnahar Islam A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: b.singh@acss.usyd.edu.au

Australian Journal of Soil Research 43(6) 713-721 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR04182
Submitted: 22 December 2004  Accepted: 26 May 2005   Published: 22 September 2005

Abstract

Reflectance spectroscopy techniques in the ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared and mid-infrared regions are alternatives for many traditional laboratory methods for measuring soil properties. However, debate exists over whether the near-infrared (700–2500 nm) or the mid-infrared (MIR, 2500–25000 nm) region of the electromagnetic spectrum is more useful for predicting soil properties. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare UV-VIS-NIR and MIR spectroscopic techniques to predict several soil properties. A total of 415 surface and subsurface soil samples were collected from widely spread locations within New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland of Australia to model the proposed hypothesis. Principal component regression analysis (PCR) was used to develop calibration and validation models from soil spectra and reference laboratory values. The models developed using MIR spectra achieved higher prediction accuracy (regression coefficient, r2 = 0.62–0.85) for pH, organic carbon, clay, sand, CEC, and exchangeable Ca and Mg than that obtained by UV-VIS-NIR spectra (r2 = 0.28–0.76). PCR models were also developed for the combined spectral regions (UV-VIS-NIR+MIR). The models developed using combined spectra were also found to predict pH, organic carbon, clay, sand, CEC, and exchangeable Ca and Mg with acceptable accuracy (r2 = 0.59–0.79). The results of this study indicate that MIR spectra are better than UV-VIS-NIR spectra for estimation of common soil properties.

Additional keywords: reflectance spectroscopy, non-destructive technique, soil testing.


Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Greg Chapman, Helmut Rieche, Nicole Simons, and Michael Stone from the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, NSW for providing soil samples and chemical data.


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