Spectroscopy may provide low cost solution to soil carbon measurement

摘要

Asolution to low cost accurate measurement of soil carbon looks to be closer thanks to technology being developed in the US. At the recent World Congress of Soil Science Veris Technologies CEO Eric Lund described how two tractor towed instruments using near infrared spectroscopy can measure soil carbon levels to a depth of 100cm. This is a significant breakthrough as soil carbon decline has been a major factor associated with poorer soil health across the world's cropping regions. This is mainly dueto the impact of ploughing soil. Now most fanners have stopped ploughing preferring to use direct drilling. This strategy is recognised as a method of slowly improving soil carbon levels, but quantifying the improvement has been difficult. Apart from improving soil health, soil carbon may become a significant tradeable commodity once a price on carbon is instigated.