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ABSTRACT
Is it time for replacing the traditional soil-plant analysis methods by spectroscopy? Traditional analytical methods are subject to significant sources of errors that commonly result in compromise of soil characteristics and gross underestimation of chemical concentrations in soil-plant for a wide range of analyses. Given the magnitude of the decisions that are made based on these data, the technical and economic impacts of using traditional methods can be significant. Therefore, it is now time for soil-plant spectroscopy to enter an operational phase. Spectroscopy has opened a new era in which traditional analyses are being left behind. Spectroscopy can be used to accurately predict certain soil and plant properties, making it a valuable tool in precision farming. Soil spectra contain much information relevant to soil-plant properties. Multivariate regressions of spectra can accurately predict several soil properties. Spectroscopy requires only a few seconds to analyze a soil sample, but the relevant information needs to be mathematically extracted from the spectra so that it can be correlated with soil properties. Therefore, the successful application of spectroscopy to quantify and evaluate the relationships between soil reflectance and soil properties depends largely on the development of accurate and robust calibration models. These procedures appear to be sufficiently accurate and precise to enable their use in soil and plant analysis. There are many advantages to using this technique.