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RESEARCH PAPER
Applicability of above-ground crop monitoring to identify soil compaction
1
Institute for Land and Water Management Research, Federal Agency for Water Management, Pollnbergstraße 1, 3252, Petzenkirchen, Austria
2
Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
3
Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fischeries and Food, ILVO, Havenlaan 88/50, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Final revision date: 2025-09-25
Acceptance date: 2025-09-26
Publication date: 2025-12-10
Corresponding author
David Ramler
Institute for Land and Water Management Research, Federal Agency for Water Management, Pollnbergstraße 1, 3252, Petzenkirchen, Austria
Institute for Land and Water Management Research, Federal Agency for Water Management, Pollnbergstraße 1, 3252, Petzenkirchen, Austria
Int. Agrophys. 2026, 40(1): 81-94
HIGHLIGHTS
- Vegetation indices (VI) were used to assess soil compaction
- Compaction confirmed by ground measurements was poorly reflected in VI
- Significant differences due to compaction may be detected in optimal cases
- Crop type, growth stage, and seasonality overshadow effects of compaction
- Detection of unknown moderate compaction via VI appears limited
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Soil compaction affects soil health and crop yields, yet a large-scale spatial assessment of agricultural lands is challenging with traditional invasive techniques. This study examined the capability of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based multispectral imagery and analyses of vegetation indices (VIs) to indirectly identify soil compaction through the above-ground physiological responses of plants. Over two growing seasons, drone imagery and soil data from three agricultural fields in two European locations with both compacted and non-compacted areas were obtained. Seventeen VIs were derived and evaluated across various crop types and growth stages. Although soil compaction was validated through increased bulk density (4.6-14.5% higher in compacted topsoil) and lower hydraulic conductivity (below 3 cm d-1 at the surface layer), the corresponding differences in VI values were generally minimal. The indices were substantially influenced by seasonal trends and crop-specific factors, with the most notable distinctions observed in wheat fields during their peak vegetative phase. While some VIs demonstrated statistically significant differences, their practical effectiveness in reliably identifying moderate soil compaction was limited, as shown by low Cohen’s d values. These results show both the potential and current limitations of remote sensing in assessing soil compaction and provide a basis for optimising remote sensing protocols for soil monitoring.
FUNDING
This work was funded by the EJP Soil project SoilCompaC “Mapping and alleviating soil compaction in a climate change context” (grant agreement No. 862695).
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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