Estimating soil compaction risk using meteorological data and soil spectroscopy

Soil compaction is a major constraint to sustainable agriculture in Europe, affecting crop productivity, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse gas emissions. In this webinar, I will present a methodology that we used to estimate soil compaction risk using existing soil archives (n~10,000 pits) at regional scale (4 km² resolution) by integrating soil spectroscopy, field information and meteorological data.

For topsoils, medium infrared (MIR) spectroscopy was used to predict particle size distribution (sand, silt, clay) and organic matter content. These properties were combined with soil drainage classes to assess susceptibility to compaction.

For subsoils, MIR predictions of particle size and bulk density were combined with climatic indicators of soil wetness to evaluate inherent compaction risk.

This approach demonstrates how the use of existent soil archives combining spectroscopy with environmental data can offer a fast, cost-effective, and scalable alternative to support large-scale soil monitoring and risk assessment.