In Situ Measurement of Soil Chemical Composition by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: A Tool Toward Sustainable Vineyard Management

This study evaluated an in-field near-infrared (NIR) instrument to predict the contents of total nitrogen (TN), organic carbon (OC), potassium (K), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), pH, and electric conductivity (EC) in soil vineyard samples (n = 70) sourced from three wine regions of Australia. Samples were analyzed using a portable NIR spectrophotometer (ASD FieldSpec III, 350-1800 nm). Partial least squares (PLS) regressions yield a coefficient of determination in calibration (R2) and a standard error in cross validation (SECV) of 0.74 (0.03) for TN, 0.92 (2.19) for S, 0.81 (0.42) for OC, 0.70 (109.2) for K, 0.84 (0.03) for EC, 0.83 (0.44) for pH, and 0.69 (24.6) for P, respectively. This study showed that it is possible to measure soil chemical properties in the vineyard, and the main advantages of this approach will be the speed, low cost, and ability to better manage and monitor soil fertility.