A comparison of soil texture measurements using mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) and laser diffraction analysis (LDA) in diverse soils
Abstract Spectroscopic methods for the determination of soil texture are faster and cheaper than the standard methods, but how do the results compare? To address this question, laser diffraction analysis (LDA) and mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) analysis have been compared to conventional sieve-pip...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-79618-y |
| _version_ | 1818733737490251776 |
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| author | Cathy L. Thomas Javier Hernandez-Allica Sarah J. Dunham Steve P. McGrath Stephan M. Haefele |
| author_facet | Cathy L. Thomas Javier Hernandez-Allica Sarah J. Dunham Steve P. McGrath Stephan M. Haefele |
| author_sort | Cathy L. Thomas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Spectroscopic methods for the determination of soil texture are faster and cheaper than the standard methods, but how do the results compare? To address this question, laser diffraction analysis (LDA) and mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) analysis have been compared to conventional sieve-pipette measurements of texture in diverse European and Kenyan soils. To our knowledge this comparison between LDA and MIRS has not been made previously. It has used soils with a broad range of organic carbon (OC) contents to investigate whether, as in other techniques, clay-OC aggregation affects the estimation of clay with MIRS. The MIRS predictions of clay content were much better than the LDA measurements, but both techniques gave good measurements of sand content. The MIRS over-estimated clay at low clay content and under-estimated at high clay content (calibration set R2 = 0.83). The LDA over-estimated clay by ~ 60% (calibration set R2 = 0.36), indicating that the widely used clay threshold of < 8 µm was too high, and < 4 µm was found to be more accurate. In samples with < 5% OC content, both the LDA and MIRS gave very good clay predictions (R2 = 0.88 and 0.81, respectively). But in predictions of clay content in samples with > 5% OC the LDA under-estimated (R2 = < 0.1) and MIRS over-estimated (R2 = 0.34) clay content. In soils with OC removed, the MIRS prediction of clay content improved, indicating interference between over-lapping spectral regions for organic and mineral constituents. Unlike granulometric measurements of texture such as the LDA, MIRS analysis is not subject to the limitations imposed by the shape and density of particles. It was concluded that in typical agricultural soils with < 5% OC and < 60% clay content, both techniques could be used for cheap, fast and reliable estimates of soil texture. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T23:54:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-108a436ca4734814aaa599c0cf41c539 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T23:54:13Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-108a436ca4734814aaa599c0cf41c5392022-12-21T21:28:06ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222021-01-0111111210.1038/s41598-020-79618-yA comparison of soil texture measurements using mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) and laser diffraction analysis (LDA) in diverse soilsCathy L. Thomas0Javier Hernandez-Allica1Sarah J. Dunham2Steve P. McGrath3Stephan M. Haefele4Rothamsted ResearchRothamsted ResearchRothamsted ResearchRothamsted ResearchRothamsted ResearchAbstract Spectroscopic methods for the determination of soil texture are faster and cheaper than the standard methods, but how do the results compare? To address this question, laser diffraction analysis (LDA) and mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) analysis have been compared to conventional sieve-pipette measurements of texture in diverse European and Kenyan soils. To our knowledge this comparison between LDA and MIRS has not been made previously. It has used soils with a broad range of organic carbon (OC) contents to investigate whether, as in other techniques, clay-OC aggregation affects the estimation of clay with MIRS. The MIRS predictions of clay content were much better than the LDA measurements, but both techniques gave good measurements of sand content. The MIRS over-estimated clay at low clay content and under-estimated at high clay content (calibration set R2 = 0.83). The LDA over-estimated clay by ~ 60% (calibration set R2 = 0.36), indicating that the widely used clay threshold of < 8 µm was too high, and < 4 µm was found to be more accurate. In samples with < 5% OC content, both the LDA and MIRS gave very good clay predictions (R2 = 0.88 and 0.81, respectively). But in predictions of clay content in samples with > 5% OC the LDA under-estimated (R2 = < 0.1) and MIRS over-estimated (R2 = 0.34) clay content. In soils with OC removed, the MIRS prediction of clay content improved, indicating interference between over-lapping spectral regions for organic and mineral constituents. Unlike granulometric measurements of texture such as the LDA, MIRS analysis is not subject to the limitations imposed by the shape and density of particles. It was concluded that in typical agricultural soils with < 5% OC and < 60% clay content, both techniques could be used for cheap, fast and reliable estimates of soil texture.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-79618-y |
| spellingShingle | Cathy L. Thomas Javier Hernandez-Allica Sarah J. Dunham Steve P. McGrath Stephan M. Haefele A comparison of soil texture measurements using mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) and laser diffraction analysis (LDA) in diverse soils Scientific Reports |
| title | A comparison of soil texture measurements using mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) and laser diffraction analysis (LDA) in diverse soils |
| title_full | A comparison of soil texture measurements using mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) and laser diffraction analysis (LDA) in diverse soils |
| title_fullStr | A comparison of soil texture measurements using mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) and laser diffraction analysis (LDA) in diverse soils |
| title_full_unstemmed | A comparison of soil texture measurements using mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) and laser diffraction analysis (LDA) in diverse soils |
| title_short | A comparison of soil texture measurements using mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) and laser diffraction analysis (LDA) in diverse soils |
| title_sort | comparison of soil texture measurements using mid infrared spectroscopy mirs and laser diffraction analysis lda in diverse soils |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-79618-y |
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