Advances of Remote Sensing in Soil Health Research

Dear Colleagues,

The benefits of remote sensing have long been recognized by the research community and agricultural industry for both operational and strategic management needs. In recent years, with the rapid development in sensor and imaging hardware, data analysis algorithms, and computer software, the breadth and depth of remote sensing applications have expanded tremendously. Correspondingly, the utility of remote sensing to study agri-environmental systems and their adaptation under extreme weather events has proven increasingly valuable to meet the goals of sustainable agricultural production under increasing global food demand. Soils are the fundamental medium for plant growth and the main interface between agricultural practices and the environment. While soils supply and hold nutrients to support plant growth, they can also accumulate deleterious compounds, become deficient in necessary resources, and undergo structural changes that impair their quality as a medium for plant growth. Quantifying soil health and understanding its spatial–temporal dynamics is critical for successful agricultural production in the long term. Maintenance of proper soil health helps balance energy and matter exchange in the soil–water–air system, minimizes soil loss through erosion, reduces the development of plant disease, pests, and weeds, and is a key component to sustainable high yield production.

This Special Issue invites contributions to showcase the innovative applications of remote sensing, modeling, and geospatial analysis in monitoring and assessing soil health. Studies using remote sensing data from various platforms (satellite, aircraft, UAVs, and lab spectroscopy) and different sensors (optical, thermal, and radar) at different scales (global, national, and regional) are invited to cover, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Retrieval of soil properties, including texture, moisture, mineral content, salinity, and organic carbon;
• Mapping of spatial and temporal dynamics;
• Precision agriculture with a focus on soils;
• Soil response to land conversion and precision land management activities;
• Interaction of soil microbiome and agricultural productivity;
• Soil nutrient loss and erosion.

Dr. Jiali Shang
Dr. Jiangui Liu
Dr. Holly Croft
Dr. Taifeng Dong
Dr. Cameron Proctor
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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