Soil & Tillage Research最新文献

{"title":"Linking microbial metabolism and ecological strategies to soil carbon cycle function in agroecosystems","authors":"Xianwen Long ,&nbsp;Jiangnan Li ,&nbsp;Xionghui Liao ,&nbsp;Wei Zhang ,&nbsp;Kelin Wang ,&nbsp;Jie Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Revealing regional-scale differences in microbial community structure and metabolic strategies across different land use types and soil types and how these differences relate to soil carbon (C) cycling function is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in agroecosystems. However, our understanding of these knowledge still remains unclear. Here, we employed metagenomic methods to explore differences in microbial community structure, functional potential, and ecological strategies in calcareous soil and red soil, as well as the relationships among these factors and SOC stocks. The results showed that the bacterial absolute abundance and diversity were higher and the fungal absolute abundance and diversity were lower in calcareous soil than in red soil. This may be attributed to stochastic processes dominated the assembly of bacterial and fungal communities in calcareous soil and red soil, respectively. This in turn was closely related to soil pH and Ca^2 + content. Linear discriminant analysis showed that genes related to microbial growth and reproduction (e.g., amino acid biosynthesis, central carbon metabolism, and membrane transport) were enriched in calcareous soil. While genes related to stress tolerance (e.g., bacterial chemotaxis, DNA damage repair, biofilm formation) were enriched in red soil. The great difference in soil properties between calcareous soil and red soil may be the cause of this result. Compared with red soil, the higher soil pH, SOC, and calcium and magnesium content in calcareous soil increased the bacterial absolute abundance and diversity, thus increasing the SOC sequestration potential of microorganisms, but also increased the decomposition of organic carbon by fungi, thus increasing the SOC loss potential. However, the bacterial absolute abundance and diversity were much higher than that of fungi. Therefore, soil carbon sequestration potential was still greater than its loss potential in karst agroecosystems. Agricultural disturbance intensity may be the main factor affecting these relationships. Overall, these findings advance our understanding of how soil microbial metabolic processes are related to SOC sequestration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106562"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143737983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of concentrated flow and shallow water table on pesticides trapping efficiency of vegetative filter strips – A case study of Northeast China","authors":"Liming Yan ,&nbsp;Yang Ou ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Sui ,&nbsp;Huiping Liu ,&nbsp;Yang Deng ,&nbsp;Qi Cui ,&nbsp;Minglian Shang","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106557","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106557","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Northeast Black Soil Region is a key grain production area in China, facing significant pesticide runoff risks due to extensive agricultural activity. Vegetative filter strips (VFS) are crucial for reducing diffuse pollution, but their effectiveness is compromised by concentrated flow (CF) and shallow water table (SWT) conditions. Quantitatively assessing the negtive effects of these hydrological processes on VFS pesticide removal performance has thus become an urgent issue. This study combined field monitoring with VFSMOD-W simulation to quantify the impacts of CF and SWT on VFS pesticide removal performance. Results show that under typical meteorological conditions in the Black Soil Region, the performance decline of VFS accelerates when CFR exceeds 30 %, and becomes significantly compromised when CFR reaches 60 %. However, SWT effects are less severe, with significant performance declines observed only when it is below 0.5 m. When SWT rises to 0.2 m, outflow reaches 2.2 times the inflow, pesticide removal drops by 55 %, while sediment removal remains stable. When both CF and SWT reach critical thresholds, the decline in pesticide removal is not additive. Pearson correlation analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA) further highlighted that impacting factors explain 86.8 % of VFS performance variability, with CF, SWT, VFS length in the direction of flow (VL), soil vertical saturated hydraulic conductivity (VKS), and rainfall intensity (T) identified as primary influencing factors. To optimize VFS performance, identifying CF pathways and extending VFS length are essential. Additionally, deep plowing to break plow pans and using mixed plant species with robust root systems for riparian restoration are recommended strategies for SWT. This integrated approach offers insights for enhancing VFS efficiency in mitigating agricultural pollution in the Black Soil Region and similar ecosystems globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106557"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143735201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil structure development in a five-year chronosequence of maize cropping on two contrasting soil textures","authors":"Maxime Phalempin ,&nbsp;Nils Jentzsch ,&nbsp;John Maximilian Köhne ,&nbsp;Susanne Schreiter ,&nbsp;Ralf Gründling ,&nbsp;Doris Vetterlein ,&nbsp;Steffen Schlüter","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of soil structure is a complex process driven by the interplay of physical, biological, and chemical factors. Plant roots play an important role in shaping the porous soil architecture; however, their relative contribution is hard to quantify. This study assessed root-driven structural (bio-)pore formation, its impact on hydraulic properties (e.g., infiltration capacity), and how it is influenced by soil texture (loam vs. sand). We combined X-ray computed tomography and machine learning-based segmentation to analyze 720 soil cores from a five-year chronosequence of maize cultivation without tillage. With this methodology, we showed that soil texture was the primary driver of soil structure development and the dynamics of root-derived organic matter. In loam, rapid root decomposition left an interconnected biopore network, enhancing infiltration despite soil settlement. In sand, a greater accumulation of root-derived particulate organic matter resulted from more vigorous root growth, larger diameters, and slower root decomposition. In sand, soil settlement reduced the infiltration capacity over time. These findings underscore the need to integrate organic matter dynamics into soil structure studies, with implications for sustainable land management and carbon storage strategies. Expanding this approach to diverse soils and climates could improve soil process modeling and soil management globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106561"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143725739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Faster soil organic carbon turnover in MAOM versus POM: straw input causes larger microbial driven soil organic carbon decomposition but higher straw accumulation in MAOM","authors":"Xiongsheng Yu ,&nbsp;Lili Wang ,&nbsp;Qiang Wang ,&nbsp;Guoyan Zhou ,&nbsp;Han Sun ,&nbsp;Georg Guggenberger ,&nbsp;Yongfu Li ,&nbsp;Kuzyakov Yakov ,&nbsp;Yu Luo ,&nbsp;Yingyi Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106549","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106549","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Straw-related carbon (C) dynamics are central for soil organic C (SOC) accrual in soils. However, the underlying microbial groups driving straw decomposition and accumulation in particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) remain elusive. This study effectively isolated POM and MAOM by using ultrasonic energy (kept below 80 J mL⁻¹) and size-density fractionation that minimally impacts microbial activity and community. We further conducted an 87-day incubation to examine the transformation of added C4 straw and the involved bacterial mechanisms in POM and MAOM. Here, we showed that: i) SOC turnover was faster in MAOM compared to POM, as MAOM stabilized more straw C, likely through strong organic-mineral interactions, while exhibiting significantly higher SOC mineralization than POM over the incubation period; and ii) MAOM, versus POM, exhibited difference of bacterial community and metabolisms during incubation. For instance, microorganisms within MAOM were enriched with genes involved in i) decomposing easily utilized C sources (e.g., sugars, pectin) and ii) the pathways of microbial biomass synthesis. This led to faster SOC turnover via larger native SOC decomposition (possibly through co-metabolism mechanisms) and higher new SOC formation (possibly through biomass-necromass accumulation). Conversely, POM enriched with K-strategists and genes encoding enzymes decomposing recalcitrant C sources (e.g., cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin), possibly via nitrogen mining as nutrients were exhausted in the later stage. This study firstly reveals the bacterial drivers involved in straw-C transformation within POM and MAOM by proper separating approach and highlights the different bacterial community and their metabolisms underpinning added straw decomposition and consequent C accrual in POM and MAOM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106549"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143704023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rice yield and nutrient dynamics in a fertilizer-free and agrochemical-free paddy field with inter-tillage weeding","authors":"Zhiduo Zhou ,&nbsp;Shoichiro Hamamoto ,&nbsp;Junichi Kashiwagi ,&nbsp;Yan Zhu ,&nbsp;Munehide Ishiguro ,&nbsp;Hajime Araki","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106531","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106531","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Excessive fertilizer and agrochemical applications cause many environmental problems. Some studies in Japan have indicated that high yields can be obtained without fertilizers and agrochemicals and with frequent inter-tillage weeding. After conversion from conventional cultivation, we evaluated the plant conditions and soil nutrients of this cultivation system for five years (2018–2022) under three different inter-tillage frequencies: no inter-tillage (0-T), twice inter-tillage (2-T), and five times inter-tillage (5-T). Control plots (CI) were established in 2022, where fertilizers and chemicals were applied as a conventional method, to compare the yield. In the inter-tillage fields, the yield significantly decreased in the second year but increased in the fourth year, ultimately reaching 81 % of the fertilized control field yield in the final year. Higher frequency inter-tillage weeding improved rice growth by suppressing weeds within one season. Soil ammonium concentration and nitrogen in plants decreased in the second and third years and began to recover, contributing to increased yield. Without fertilizer application, the soil carbon content increased while the soil total nitrogen content decreased, and nitrogen mineralization is expected to be promoted with long-term inter-tillage practices. Different mechanical tillage before transplanting and inter-tillage weeding during the cultivation season did not affect soil organic carbon content. Phosphorus, potassium, and silica deficiency did not occur during the five years without fertilizer input. These results provide a fundamental understanding of fertilizer- and agrochemical-free rice cultivation and contribute to the development of new sustainable cultivation systems to reduce fertilizer and agrochemical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106531"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143696032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wood gasification biochar enhances soil carbon sequestration without affecting greenhouse gas fluxes or wheat yield in sub-alkaline soil","authors":"Laura Trozzo ,&nbsp;Paride D’Ottavio ,&nbsp;Ayaka Wenhong Kishimoto-Mo ,&nbsp;Matteo Francioni","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106556","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106556","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The agricultural sector plays a vital role in mitigating soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhancing carbon sequestration. One promising approach is wood biochar produced through gasification, which generates both syngas and stable biochar. This study evaluates the effects of wood gasification biochar (WGB) on subalkaline soil under Mediterranean climate conditions. A field experiment was conducted over two cropping years, monitoring soil N₂O, CH₄, and CO₂ fluxes, along with temperature and water content, for two treatments: unamended wheat (control) and wheat amended with 60 Mg ha⁻¹ of WGB. Additionally, soil physicochemical properties at 0–10 cm and 10–40 cm depths and wheat yield were assessed. In the WGB treatment, soil N₂O, CH₄, and CO₂ fluxes remained unchanged, though a slight increase in soil temperature (+0.1 °C) was observed. No significant differences were detected in soil pH, total and ammoniacal nitrogen, bulk density, or cation exchange capacity. However, soil nitric nitrogen levels significantly decreased. Soil carbon stock increased 2.2-fold at 0–10 cm and 1.4-fold at 10–40 cm, with this effect persisting into the second year. Wheat yield remained comparable between treatments, averaging ∼2.0 Mg ha⁻¹ (control) vs. ∼1.8 Mg ha⁻¹ (WGB) in year one and ∼3.9 Mg ha⁻¹ vs. ∼3.1 Mg ha⁻¹ in year two. These findings indicate that wood gasification biochar enhances soil carbon sequestration without affecting GHG emissions or wheat yield, reinforcing its potential for sustainable soil management and circular agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106556"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143680804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanical properties and microstructural evolution of Malan loess with depth: Insights from multivariate statistical models","authors":"Xuanyu Gao ,&nbsp;Wanli Xie ,&nbsp;Kangze Yuan ,&nbsp;Qiqi Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106548","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106548","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Malan loess is widely distributed on the Chinese Loess Plateau and poses great challenges to geotechnical, ecological, and agricultural practices due to its unique structure and collapsibility. It is essential to understand the evolution of these properties with depth to assess soil stability and reduce engineering risks in the area. This study investigates the mechanical properties and microstructural evolution of Malan loess with depth and employs multivariate statistical methods to explore their complex interrelationships. Oedometer-collapse tests reveal a 94.2 % reduction in collapsibility coefficient (<em>δ</em>_<em>s</em>) from 0.0722 at 1 m to 0.0042 at 9 m, indicating a significant reduction in collapsibility with increasing depth. According to the results of the direct shear test, it showed that the shear strength initially decreases and then increases due to the combined effect of the water content and dry density. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images reveal the densification of the loess structure, with changes in particle contact from point to face contact and the evolution from macropores to mesopores and small pores as depth increases. Quantitative analysis by Avzio showed a decrease of 61.5 % in macropores area and an increase of 62.5 % in small pores area. The results obtained by Pearson’s correlation analysis and random forest model showed that among these microstructural characteristics, the total pore area (<em>%IncMSE</em> = 22.77 %) is the most important factor influencing the collapsibility properties of loess and water content (<em>%IncMSE</em> = 17.72 %) acts a key role in controlling shear strength. Additionally, compared to traditional methods, the random forest model offers a more insightful understanding of nonlinear relationships and multifactorial coupling effects. These findings provide scientific guidance for geotechnical engineering in loess regions, aiding in risk mitigation and promoting sustainable construction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106548"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143675580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impacts of a fully mechanized timber harvesting system on soil physical properties after a pronounced dry period","authors":"Julian Grünberg ,&nbsp;Franz Holzleitner ,&nbsp;Maximilian Behringer ,&nbsp;Christoph Gollob ,&nbsp;Christian Kanzian ,&nbsp;Klaus Katzensteiner ,&nbsp;Martin Kühmaier","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106551","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106551","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Within the wood supply chain, timber harvesting plays a crucial role, especially with the growing importance of bioeconomy. This study focused on the effects of a fully mechanized timber harvesting system using a harvester and forwarder on various soil properties in a mixed stand dominated by <em>Picea abies</em> located in Upper Austria. Using portable wheel load scales, we measured the load per wheel of both the empty and loaded forwarder. We analyzed soil rutting and penetration resistance before and after two harvester passes, after two and nine forwarder passes, and at the end of the harvesting operations (n_passes = 18). Soil samples were collected using steel cylinders before and after the harvester, and at the end of the harvesting operation. We measured soil water content, bulk density, total porosity, and the C/N ratio. The results showed a mean rut depth of 13 cm after the harvesting operation was completed. Soil deformation began in predisposed areas (e.g., roots and stumps). Maximum penetration resistance occurred at 10–15 cm, highlighting the substantial impact of both harvester and forwarder at this depth. Harvester effects on penetration resistance were noticeable down to 40 cm, while forwarder effects extended beyond 80 cm. Significant changes in bulk density appeared only after forwarder passes. Low initial water content (12 Vol.–%) enhances soil stability, reducing impacts compared to winter harvesting under the high–moisture conditions. Harvesting at the end of a dry period (e.g., late summer) is a viable alternative for protecting soil physical properties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106551"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143675582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing soil property predictions using spectral fusion: Comparisons between outer product analysis and vector concatenation and among modeling algorithms","authors":"Adnane Beniaich ,&nbsp;Fabrício S. Terra ,&nbsp;José A.M. Demattê ,&nbsp;Ingrid Horák-Terra ,&nbsp;Jhonny K.D. Martins ,&nbsp;Ivana P. Sousa-Baracho","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106546","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106546","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Multiple approaches have been employed to improve predictions of soil properties using vis-NIR-SWIR and mid-IR spectra, including techniques for extracting/enhancing spectral features and various types of regression models. However, only a few studies have conducted statistical comparative analyses to evaluate the impact of spectral fusions and different algorithms in enhancing prediction performances. So, the aim of this study was to compare the predictions of several soil properties (32 in total) using individual (vis-NIR-SWIR and mid-IR) and fused spectra and four different modeling algorithms. We used a spectral database comprising 1259 soil samples, collected in four Brazilian states, and containing chemical, physical, and mineralogical attributes. Outer Product Analysis (OPA) and Vector Concatenation, called here Side-by-Side (SbS), were used as spectral fusion strategies. Additionally, we also tested the following regression models: Support Vector Machine (with linear and radial Kernel functions), Partial Least Squares Regression, and Boosted Regression Trees. Our results showed the effectiveness of both fusion strategies in enhancing the spectroscopic modeling of soil properties compared to the individual ranges. Fused spectra significantly improved the modeling of most soil properties by utilizing all spectral information in distinct ways. Comparing these two strategies, OPA produced better results (models with R² ≥ 0.50) for 70 % of all soil properties, while this proportion was 48 % for SbS. Support Vector Machine with linear kernel trick performed the best significant modeling results for 78 % of all soil properties with R² ≥ 0.50. Thereby, our results confirm the usefulness of the spectral fusion as an effective technique to improve the spectroscopic prediction of soil properties important for soil survey, classification, mapping, and management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106546"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143675556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of different VisNIR and MIR spectroscopic techniques and the potential of calibration transfer between MIR laboratory and portable instruments to estimate soil properties","authors":"F.H.C.A. Silva ,&nbsp;Nuwan K. Wijewardane ,&nbsp;Michael S. Cox ,&nbsp;Xin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106555","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106555","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spectroscopic analysis of soil using visible-near infrared (VisNIR) and mid infrared (MIR) regions is a rapid, low-cost, and nondestructive tool which has the potential of substituting or complementing conventional laboratory methods. Numerous studies have used different data acquisition, preprocessing, and modeling techniques to predict different soil attributes, but their impact on prediction accuracies was not consistent. In addition, instrumental disparities prohibit the application of models from laboratory to portable spectrometers limiting field applications. The goal of this study was to enable the field application of spectroscopic techniques for soil sensing using portable spectrometers. To this end, three objectives were defined: (i) to evaluate the impact of preprocessing and modeling algorithms, (ii) to compare the different spectral regions and portable versus laboratory spectrometers, and (iii) to evaluate the potential of different calibration transfer approaches to eliminate the instrumental impact in MIR region. A total of 474 soil samples were collected, air dried, ground, and sieved to obtain &lt; 2 mm fraction followed by scanning with five spectrometers. Four preprocessing techniques (no preprocessing, Savitzky-Golay, standard normal variate, multiplicative scatter correction) were compared for prediction accuracy. Four different modeling techniques (partial least square regression (PLSR), support vector regression, random forest, and artificial neural network) were used to build and validate the models. Results revealed that PLSR outperformed all other nonlinear modeling techniques and preprocessing was not required to calibrate robust and reliable models. In general, the MIR region outperformed the VisNIR region while portable instruments performed on par with laboratory instrumentation. Four calibration transfer methods (external parameter orthogonalization (EPO), direct standardization (DS), slope bias and spiking with extra weights) were deployed to evaluate the transferability of the models between laboratory and portable spectrometers in the MIR region. Extra weighted spiking consistently yielded superior performance in correcting instrumental disparities in the spectra with EPO and DS showing significant variability in prediction accuracy across different properties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"251 ","pages":"Article 106555"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}