Abstract
AbstractAgriculture is facing immense challenges. We have to produce enough food while safe‐guarding the environment for future generations. This results in the need to use less water and fertilizer, and to harness soil quality. Key to achieving this goal is improving the understanding of processes and interactions governing the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum of agricultural ecosystems. Geophysical tools have great potential to better characterize and quantify these processes noninvasively from the plot to landscape scale. Nevertheless, a number of challenges remain for geophysical results to be better exploited by different scientific communities and by decision‐makers. In this special section, we explore ongoing research in the relatively new field of agrogeophysics, and we provide an overview of potential applications and highlight future research needs.
Highlights
We explore ongoing research in the relatively new field of agrogeophysics, and we provide an overview of potential applications and highlight future research needs
Agrogeophysics is a branch of geophysics that uses geophysical methods to characterize patterns or processes in the soil that are of interest for agronomic management
In the article “Time-lapse mapping of crop and tillage interactions with soil water using electromagnetic induction,” Brown et al (2021) show that the different crops monitored with EMI were the main drivers of the soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) patterns
Summary
Agrogeophysics is a branch of geophysics that uses geophysical methods to characterize patterns or processes in the soil that are of interest for agronomic management. Approaches to the improved management of soils, and sustainable agriculture in general, include those that (a) reduce nutrient losses by adapted timing and slow-release properties, (b) capitalize on natural resources and circular farming and/or precision farming, (c) apply efficient irrigation techniques and scheduling, and (d) select more efficient crops (e.g., by phenotyping from laboratory to field).
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