DIGITAL SOIL MAPPING FOR SMART AGRICULTURE: THE SOLIM METHOD AND SOFTWARE PLATFORMS

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Abstract

The key challenges faced by many of the existing digital soil mapping (DSM) techniques are the rigid requirements on the size of soil samples to extract the relationships needed and on the stationarity of the extracted relationships. These requirements limit the application of these DSM techniques. This paper provides an overview of the SoLIM approach and an introduction to the operation of SoLIM through the software platforms available. SoLIM is based on the Third Law of Geography, which calls for the comparison of similarity in geographic (environmental) configuration of a prototype and an unsampled location and then use this similarity to predict the value of a soil property at a given location. DSM under SoLIM approach removes requirements on the sample size and the stationarity assumption. In addition, the uncertainty computed based on the similarities can be used to improve the efficiency of error reduction efforts. The SoLIM approach has been implemented in two platforms: SoLIM Solutions and CyberSoLIM. The theoretical foundation and the availability of software platforms under SoLIM make DSM possible and convenient over large and complex geographic regions.

About the authors

A-Xing X Zhu

Nanjing Normal University; Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research; University of Wisconsin-Madison

Email: azhu@wisc.edu
Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison Nanjing, 210023, China; Beijing, 100101, China; Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA

Cheng-Zhi Z Qin

Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research

Email: azhu@wisc.edu
State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, 100101, China

Peng Liang

Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research

Email: azhu@wisc.edu
State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, 100101, China

Fei Du

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Email: azhu@wisc.edu
Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA

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Copyright (c) 2018 Zhu A.X., Qin C.Z., Liang P., Du F.

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