Proximal Soil and Plant Sensing

Soil and plant sensing can be separated into remote sensing, which is discussed in Chapter 8, and proximal sensing, where an instrument is placed within 2 m of the target (Viscarra Rossel et al., 2011). These sensors are used for a variety of purposes including quantifying spatial and temporal changes in plant and soil health (Gebbers and Adamchuk, 2010). As a result of rapid developments in electronics, a wide array instruments can be used to obtain rapid and reliable signals that can be used to create site-specific recommendations. To better characterize the way each of the sensors is used, this chapter focuses on the mobility, energy, and how sensors work. This chapter also refers to examples of commercial proximal sensing systems, as well as highlights new concepts currently being developed.