Estimating Swiss chard foliar macro- and micronutrient concentrations under different irrigation water sources using ground-based hyperspectral data and four partial least squares (PLS)-based (PLS1, PLS2, SPLS1 and SPLS2) regression algorithms

In arid and semi-arid regions, identifying and monitoring of soil alkalinity and salinity are in urgently need for preventing land degradation and maintaining ecological balances. In this study, physicochemical, statistical, and spectral analysis revealed that potential of hydrogen (pH) and electrical conductivity (EC) characterized the saline-alkali soils and were sensitive to the visible and near infrared (VIS-NIR) wavelengths. On the basis of soil pH, EC, and spectral data, the partial least squares regression (PLSR) models for estimating soil alkalinity and salinity were constructed. The R2 values for soil pH and EC models were 0.77 and 0.48, and the root mean square errors (RMSEs) were 0.95 and 17.92 dS/m, respectively. The ratios of performance to inter-quartile distance (RPIQ) for the soil pH and EC models were 3.84 and 0.14, respectively, indicating that the soil pH model performed well but the soil EC model was not considerably reliable. With the validation dataset, the RMSEs of the two models were 1.06 and 18.92 dS/m. With the PLSR models applied to hyperspectral data acquired from the hyperspectral imager (HSI) onboard the HJ-1A satellite (launched in 2008 by China), the soil alkalinity and salinity distributions were mapped in the study area, and were validated with RMSEs of 1.09 and 17.30 dS/m, respectively. These findings revealed that the hyperspectral images in the VIS-NIR wavelengths had the potential to map soil alkalinity and salinity in the Songnen Plain, China.

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Nutrient Prediction for Tef (Eragrostis tef) Plant and Grain with Hyperspectral Data and Partial Least Squares Regression: Replicating Methods and Results across Environments

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs12182867 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (18) ◽

pp. 2867 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

K. Colton Flynn ◽

Amy E. Frazier ◽

Sintayehu Admas

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Least Squares ◽

Partial Least Squares ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Hyperspectral Data ◽

Eragrostis Tef ◽

Least Squares Regression ◽

Agricultural Field ◽

Scientific Results ◽

Study Sites

Achieving reproducibility and replication (R&R) of scientific results is tantamount for science to progress, and it is also necessary for ensuring the self-correcting mechanism of the scientific method. Topics of R&R have sailed to the forefront of research agenda in many fields recently but have received less attention in remote sensing in general and specifically for studies utilizing hyperspectral data. Given the extremely local environments in which many hyperspectral studies are conducted (e.g., agricultural field plots), purposeful attention to the repeatability of findings across study locales can help ensure methods are generalizable. This study undertakes an investigation of the nutrient content of tef (Eragrostis tef), an understudied plant that is growing in importance due to both food and forage benefits, but does so within the context of the replicability of methods and findings across two study sites situated in different international and environmental contexts. The aims are to (1) determine whether calcium, magnesium, and protein of both the plant and grain can be predicted using hyperspectral data with partial least squares (PLS) regression with waveband selection, and (2) compare the replicability of models across differing environments. Results suggest the method can produce high nutrient prediction accuracy for both the plant and grain in individual environments, but selection of wavebands for nutrient prediction was not comparable across study areas. The findings suggest that the method must be calibrated in each location, thereby reducing the potential to extrapolate methods to different areas. Our findings highlight the need for greater attention to methods and results replication in remote sensing, specifically hyperspectral analyses, in order for scientific findings to be repeatable beyond the plot level.

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