Determination of soil pH by using digital image processing technique

Abstract

Soil is recognized as one of the most valuable natural resource whose soil pH property used to describe the degree of acidity or basicity which affect nutrient availability and ultimately plant growth. Fifty soil samples were collected and their pH was determined by using digital image processing technique. Soil colour is visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories i.e red, green, blue and others. Soil colours are the parts of visual perceptual property where digital values of red, green and blue (RGB) provide a clue for spectral signature capture of different pH in soil. For the capturing images, digital camera was used. Transformation of the multispectral image was carried out through TNT Mips spatial software. On the basis of RGB grey values, pixels properties and their digital correlations, results showed that there was a clear cut gap in grey values of colours in the images 1, 2, 3, 4,10,11,14 and 16. Ranges of soil pH and pH index values were 7.30-7.50 and 0.0070-0.0261, respectively in deep brown colour. Similarly, soil pH range varies from 6.80-7.04 and 5.58-6.58 in light yellowish and greenish colour respectively while their corresponding pH index values were 0.0071-0.0451 and 0.0084-0.0239. Thus soil pH range varies from 7.30-7.50, 6.80-7.04 and 5.58-6.58 in deep brown colour, light yellowish colour and greenish colour respectively.