Abstract
Purpose
In the context of developing interest in regenerative farming to enhance soil health and wider ecosystem service benefits, this study aimed to evaluate the potential for using a portable gamma sensor (Medusa MS-700) to survey soil health parameters in agricultural fields.
Materials and methods
A Medusa MS-700 portable gamma spectrometer was deployed to evaluate activity concentrations of 40K, 238U, 232Th and 137Cs across agricultural fields. In parallel, 90 soil samples were collected for laboratory analysis of SOM by loss on ignition (LOI), total C (TC) and N (TN), particle size, moisture content and bulk density. Linear regression was used to derive prediction models of soil parameters based upon radionuclide concentrations.
Results and discussion
Correlation between soil parameters and radionuclide concentrations showed negative associations between radionuclides and moisture content, LOI, TC and TN, and most notably for 40K (rs > − 0.8). This is likely related to (i) the diluting effect of organic matter in relation to the gamma-emitting parent material and (ii) the attenuating effect of soil moisture upon gamma rays. Correlations with texture properties were generally less strong with coefficients < 0.7. Linear regression prediction models returned mean absolute errors (MAE) of around 1% TC and 0.1% TN.
Conclusion
Findings show the potential for using this portable gamma sensor for rapid spatial analysis of TC and TN across agricultural land units. Considering the gamma sensor as a decision support tool, we discuss the potential for rapid detection across wide spatial scales to inform targeted measures for regenerative action. From a land management perspective, prediction models from this dataset are encouraging wherein site-specific validation of sensor data is essential.
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Data availability
The datasets analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
The work represents a contribution to the joint International Atomic Energy and UN FAO Coordinated Research Programme D1.50.18 ‘Multiple Isotope Fingerprints to Identify Sources and Transport of Agro-Contaminants’. We are also grateful to Steven Van der Veeke at Medusa Radiometrics for his support in the acquisition and set up of the Medusa MS-700 and for his helpful comments on the draft manuscript
Funding
The research team is grateful for funding from the European Regional Development Fund and support via the Environmental Futures and Big Data Impact Lab. This work was supported by the Interreg project ReCon soil – reconstructed soils from waste.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Alex Taylor, Alice Kalnins, Martha Koot and Will Blake. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Alex Taylor, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Taylor, A., Kalnins, A., Koot, M. et al. Portable gamma spectrometry for rapid assessment of soil texture, organic carbon and total nitrogen in agricultural soils. J Soils Sediments 23, 2556–2563 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-023-03488-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-023-03488-w