PhD-student position in 3D soil mapping at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Bo Stenberg
Dear all!
Please forward this mail to anyone who might be interested.
Detailed mapping of arable land in three dimensions by sensor fusion for optimized crop production and minimized environmental risks
Soil Properties regulating cropping conditions and risks of leakage and losses of nutrients and pesticides often change over very short distances. This results in significant variations in harvests and crop quality and differences in the risks for unwanted losses of nutrients and pesticides in the field. In order to adjust various measures in crop production to maximize the efficiency of e.g. fertilizers and pesticides and minimizing losses and unnecessary environmental impact the requirements for high-resolution soil data are large. Requirements that today's soil mapping doesn’t meet. Increasing the density of sampling for classical soil analysis is generally not economically feasible. However, there is the possibility of collecting large amounts of data via various types of sensors. Some sensors have the ability to perform analysis with very high spatial resolution, others with a bit lower. Some measure only the surface while others collect information from deeper soil layers as well. Typical for these sensors is that they only indirectly measure the parameters one is interested in. How such secondary sensor data, which to a greater or lesser degree correlated to the sought-after soil parameters, can be used to produce relevant information about the soil is an important research area experiencing rapid development internationally. In the project you will form part of a research group that develops strategies where sensor data are combined with data from traditional soil analysis and statistical/mathematical methods in order to obtain the desired high-resolution soil maps. The intention is also to work with three-dimensional data by combining different types of sensor data influenced by different depths. The goal is that results can be used to map complex soil properties and conditions, such as mineralization potential and leakage risks. You will do your studies in the fields on different farms and use a variety of soil sensors. The project includes extensive data analysis where geostatistical and multivariate methods are included. You will be based at the Precision Agriculture and Pedometrics group in Skara, but some of the work will be carried out in collaboration with the Biogeophysics and Water Quality in Uppsala.
If you consider this position please visit http://www.slu.se/en/education/postgraduate-studies/new-phd-student/read-more/?Uid=704 for details.
Bo Stenberg
Precisionsodling och pedometri
Inst. för mark och miljö, SLU
Box 234
532 23 Skara
Tel: 0511-67276
Mobil: 0730-777276