Near-infrared spectroscopy can be used to accurately predict certain soil properties, making it a valuable tool in precision farming.
Modern technological developments in positioning, sensing, and control systems have opened a new era in which many traditional agricultural practices are being left behind. Replacing them are ‘precision farming’ techniques that manage variability within a field by applying agronomic inputs in the right place, at the right time, and in the right quantity to reduce the environmental impact of crop production. Visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has emerged as one of these techniques, enabling the rapid and nondestructive analytical correlation of diffusely reflected NIR radiation with chemical and physical properties of soil components.
