New Study: Affordable paint sensor predicts soil iron content
We used a NixPro color sensor to develop prediction models for soil total iron in the Animas watershed
Measurement of soil colors using the color spaces have allowed soil scientists to develop prediction models to correlate soil color with spectrochemical properties.We used an inexpensive NixPro color sensor and developed prediction model to determine soil iron (Fe), as it serves as a biogeochemical engine that regulates carbon and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) cycling in soils, spanning from tropical to tundra ecosystems. The different color space sets (CMYK, RGB and CIELab) were used to develop three new predictive models for Nix Pro-based Fe content against the lab-based inductively coupled plasma analyzed Fe content. This technique can be applied to determine site-specific soil Fe content that can be widely used by farmers and extension scientists in acidic soils to estimate soil Fe content and recommend management practices.