Section 1 of 9
Spectral Soil Data: Needs and Capacities Questionnaire
Thank you for your willingness to fill in this questionnaire. It is intended to gather insight into the needs and capacities of GLOSOLAN and the wider soil-sensing community.
With your contribution, we hope to:
1. Acquire an overview of the capacities, needs, and goals of soil laboratories worldwide with respect to spectral soil data; and
2. Determine if serving spectral data in a more structured, cooperative, and coordinated way would be useful for laboratories and other users. If so, we hope to understand how to address the needs of potential users and suppliers of data.
The questionnaire consists of four parts:
Part 1. The Global Soil Information System (GLOSIS) and Soil Spectral Data
Part 2. Laboratories and Procedures
Part 3. Spectral Data Provisioning
Part 4. Spectral Data Analysis
Although we welcome you to fill in all of the questions, you can also chose to answer only parts.
Glossary:
- Spectrum/spectra: visible, near- and mid-infrared reflectance or absorbance spectra
- Spectral library: dataset where soil samples have been measured with both conventional and spectral laboratory methods
- Spectral derived soil data: soil property estimates derived from new spectral measurements using a spectral library and statistical, machine-learning data models
- LIMS: Laboratory Information Management System (laboratory database software)
- Provisioning: sharing data with others, usually online
This survey takes less than 15 minutes to complete.
The Global Soil Partnership thanks you in advance for your precious time and contribution. If you have any questions, please contact GLOSOLAN Coordinator Ms. Lucrezia Caon at lucrezia.caon@fao.org.
With your contribution, we hope to:
1. Acquire an overview of the capacities, needs, and goals of soil laboratories worldwide with respect to spectral soil data; and
2. Determine if serving spectral data in a more structured, cooperative, and coordinated way would be useful for laboratories and other users. If so, we hope to understand how to address the needs of potential users and suppliers of data.
The questionnaire consists of four parts:
Part 1. The Global Soil Information System (GLOSIS) and Soil Spectral Data
Part 2. Laboratories and Procedures
Part 3. Spectral Data Provisioning
Part 4. Spectral Data Analysis
Although we welcome you to fill in all of the questions, you can also chose to answer only parts.
Glossary:
- Spectrum/spectra: visible, near- and mid-infrared reflectance or absorbance spectra
- Spectral library: dataset where soil samples have been measured with both conventional and spectral laboratory methods
- Spectral derived soil data: soil property estimates derived from new spectral measurements using a spectral library and statistical, machine-learning data models
- LIMS: Laboratory Information Management System (laboratory database software)
- Provisioning: sharing data with others, usually online
This survey takes less than 15 minutes to complete.
The Global Soil Partnership thanks you in advance for your precious time and contribution. If you have any questions, please contact GLOSOLAN Coordinator Ms. Lucrezia Caon at lucrezia.caon@fao.org.
Section 2 of 9
General information
The information gathered in this section will only be used within the context of this questionnaire. It will allow us to more effectively design follow-up activities, such as targeted capacity building and technical (product) development. It will be distributed only to the lead of the GLOSOLAN Spectroscopy Working Group. It will not be used for any other purpose.
Name and last name
Name and last name
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Laboratory/institution
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Section 3 of 9
Part 1. The Global Soil Information System (GLOSIS) and Soil Spectral Data
We propose to incorporate soil spectral data in GLOSIS, the Global Soil Information System, which is currently being built in Pillar 4 of the Global Soil Partnership. GLOSIS will be a federated system. Data owners will keep their own database (and therefore control) but will be able to link to a network of databases. The network will provide tools and training and thereby help improve the data owner’s national, local, or lab soil information system. GLOSIS will adhere to GLOSOLAN results and common lab practices for reference data. The system will facilitate quality control and a standardised data structure that enables plug-ins for high quality spectral predictions and for national reporting.
Do you see added value in a distributed infrastructure as described above, and would you use it once available?
Do you see added value in a distributed infrastructure as described above, and would you use it once available?
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Yes. I see the added value, and I would use it.
Yes. I see the added value, but I would not use it.
No. I do not see the added value, and I would not use it.
No. I do not see the added value, but I might consult it.
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Section 4 of 9
Part 2a. Laboratories and Procedures
This section is meant for laboratories that operate wet chemistry, dry chemistry, or both.
How many soil samples do you process on average every year?
How many soil samples do you process on average every year?
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less than 200
between 200 and 500
between 500 and 1000
between a 1000 and 2000
between 2000 and 5000
over 5000
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What soil properties are you (most) interested in at your lab? Check all that apply.
What soil properties are you (most) interested in at your lab? Check all that apply.
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Soil physical properties (clay, silt, sand, median grainsize, bulk density)
Soil chemical properties ( CEC, pH, EC, exchangeable bases, etc.)
Macronutrients (N, P, K etc.)
Micronutrients (B, S, Zn, Cu, etc.)
Plant nutrition (exchangeable nutrient fractions)
Soil organic matter speciations (organic matter, organic carbon, total carbon, inorganic carbon, etc.)
Soil biological properties (bacteria and fungi quantity and speciation, nematodes, etc.)
Soil hydrological properties (water retention, saturated hydraulic conductivity, infiltration capacity etc.)
Soil pollutants (Pb, Zn, Cu, PAHs, organic substances, PFAS, etc.)
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Do you measure spectral properties of soil samples in your lab?
Do you measure spectral properties of soil samples in your lab?
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Yes
Continue to next section
No
Continue to next section
I do not know what spectral properties are
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Section 5 of 9
Part 2b. Laboratories and Procedures
Would you like to measure spectral properties of soil samples in your lab?
Would you like to measure spectral properties of soil samples in your lab?
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Yes
No. I do not trust this technology.
No. There is not enough local and national interest in this type of measurements.
No because we do not have calibrations for my country
No: other
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What are your biggest drawbacks for measuring spectral properties of soil samples in your lab?
What are your biggest drawbacks for measuring spectral properties of soil samples in your lab?
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What would most help you to start these measurements?
What would most help you to start these measurements?
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How can GLOSOLAN or your Regional Soil Laboratory Network help you on this?
How can GLOSOLAN or your Regional Soil Laboratory Network help you on this?
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Do you have potential clients in your country for spectral derived soil data, and what is their objective? Check all that apply.
Do you have potential clients in your country for spectral derived soil data, and what is their objective? Check all that apply.
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Yes: general farm management
Yes: soil fertility advice
Yes: (national) soil survey
Yes: digital soil mapping
Yes: soil monitoring
Yes: carbon sequestration for climate mitigation
Yes: soil health/soil quality
Yes: soil pollution
Yes: other
No
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Section 6 of 9
Part 2c. Laboratories and Procedures
Which instrument do you use to measure spectral properties of soil (brand and type)?
Which instrument do you use to measure spectral properties of soil (brand and type)?
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What spectral region do you measure? Check all that apply.
What spectral region do you measure? Check all that apply.
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VNIR (400 - 2500 nm)
NIR (780 - 2500 nm)
SWIR (900 - 1700 nm)
MIR (4000 - 600 cm-1)
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Which lab procedures do you currently follow for spectral measurements?
Which lab procedures do you currently follow for spectral measurements?
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ICRAF procedures
USDA procedures
Wetterlind (2012) procedure for NIR
Ben Dor (2013) procedures for NIR
Standard Operating Procedures developed by my own lab
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What are the main difficulties that you experience in performing these measurements?
What are the main difficulties that you experience in performing these measurements?
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Sample preparation
Operation of the instruments
Getting properly trained staff
Quality checks
Building the spectral library to make soil property predictions
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What are the main difficulties that you experience in processing the data and supplying the spectral derived soil data?
What are the main difficulties that you experience in processing the data and supplying the spectral derived soil data?
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Quality checks on the spectra
Choosing the samples to add to the library
Selecting the samples to use in the model
Building the spectral model
Judging the result
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What would most help you to improve these measurements? Check all that apply.
What would most help you to improve these measurements? Check all that apply.
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Standard procedures for measurements
Standardised reference samples
Tools for quality control
Tools for spectral data modelling
Tools for data storage
Capacity building on any of these topics
Standardised library to facilitate soil property calibrations
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Do you have a LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System)?
Do you have a LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System)?
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No
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How can GLOSOLAN or your local Regional Soil Laboratory Network help you?
How can GLOSOLAN or your local Regional Soil Laboratory Network help you?
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Do you have potential clients in your country for spectral derived soil data, and what is their objective? Check all that apply.
Do you have potential clients in your country for spectral derived soil data, and what is their objective? Check all that apply.
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Yes: general farm management
Yes: soil fertility advice
Yes: (national) soil survey
Yes: soil monitoring
Yes: carbon sequestration for climate mitigation
Yes: soil health/soil quality
Yes: soil pollution
Yes: other
No
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Is there anything else regarding measuring spectra in the lab that is not addressed yet and you would like to share with us?
Is there anything else regarding measuring spectra in the lab that is not addressed yet and you would like to share with us?
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Section 7 of 9
Part 3. Spectral Data Provisioning
Would you like to share spectral data, including reference and metadata?
Would you like to share spectral data, including reference and metadata?
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Can you share spectral data, including reference and metadata?
Can you share spectral data, including reference and metadata?
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In what way would you like the data to be provisioned? For example, by a query-based web portal or a webservice (OGC wfs, website); by downloading in zip format; or other (please specify)?
In what way would you like the data to be provisioned? For example, by a query-based web portal or a webservice (OGC wfs, website); by downloading in zip format; or other (please specify)?
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In which format(s) would you like spectral data to be provisioned? For example, flat table (csv, ASCII, RData), instrument-generated file types (OPUS, etc.), *.spc files, database, etc.
In which format(s) would you like spectral data to be provisioned? For example, flat table (csv, ASCII, RData), instrument-generated file types (OPUS, etc.), *.spc files, database, etc.
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For flat tables, would you prefer reference (measured) data, metadata, and spectral data to be provisioned in separate tables or in one single table?
For flat tables, would you prefer reference (measured) data, metadata, and spectral data to be provisioned in separate tables or in one single table?
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Separate tables
One single table
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Do you model in open source (R, etc.) or in proprietary software? Which modelling program(s) do you use?
Do you model in open source (R, etc.) or in proprietary software? Which modelling program(s) do you use?
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What soil properties/characteristics are of interest to you? Please provide an exhaustive list with prioritisation.
What soil properties/characteristics are of interest to you? Please provide an exhaustive list with prioritisation.
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The current GLOSOLAN/GLOSIS plan is to serve raw background-corrected absorbance data for MIR and raw background-corrected reflectance data for NIR. Is there a strong need to provision resampled (smoothed, lower resolution) data?
The current GLOSOLAN/GLOSIS plan is to serve raw background-corrected absorbance data for MIR and raw background-corrected reflectance data for NIR. Is there a strong need to provision resampled (smoothed, lower resolution) data?
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Are you currently providing spectral data? If so, how? Please describe method, format, units, and tools. Please include a link if possible.
Are you currently providing spectral data? If so, how? Please describe method, format, units, and tools. Please include a link if possible.
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Section 8 of 9
Part 4. Spectral Data Analysis
Do you prefer modelling in the cloud or locally?
Do you prefer modelling in the cloud or locally?
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Cloud
Locally
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Would you appreciate code or tools to model the data?
Would you appreciate code or tools to model the data?
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Code
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Both
I do it myself
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What special requests do you have to make a platform more suitable for your purposes (for example visualisation, querying functionality, etc.)?
What special requests do you have to make a platform more suitable for your purposes (for example visualisation, querying functionality, etc.)?
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Are you willing to test a beta web-based platform when the time comes?
Are you willing to test a beta web-based platform when the time comes?
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Do you think a “cookbook” type, best practices manual for modelling data would be useful? Such a manual might, for example, recommend wavelength ranges and pre-processing methods.
Do you think a “cookbook” type, best practices manual for modelling data would be useful? Such a manual might, for example, recommend wavelength ranges and pre-processing methods.
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Do you have suggestions for handling calibration transfer (between different optical benches/manufacturers)? Please describe.
Do you have suggestions for handling calibration transfer (between different optical benches/manufacturers)? Please describe.
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What metadata would you want to store or receive with soil spectral data?
What metadata would you want to store or receive with soil spectral data?
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Do you have expertise, tools, or datasets that could be useful for this project? Check all that apply.
Do you have expertise, tools, or datasets that could be useful for this project? Check all that apply.
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Do you want to join this effort led by the Global Soil Partnership and in particular the GLOSOLAN Spectroscopy Working Group?
Do you want to join this effort led by the Global Soil Partnership and in particular the GLOSOLAN Spectroscopy Working Group?
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Yes, please
No, thanks
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Section 9 of 9
Thanks for taking this survey. Your contribution is very much appreciated!
We will keep you informed on the way forward!
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Can we contact you with follow up questions if we have any?
Can we contact you with follow up questions if we have any?
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Yes, I have filled in my contact details above
Continue to next section
Yes, I want to provide my contact details
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No
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