The paper, titled “Accessible, affordable, fine-scale estimates of soil carbon for sustainable management in sub-Saharan Africa” (link), was published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal on April 28th. Our-Sci’s own Dan TerAvest performed this research in collaboration with Patrick M. Ewing, Xinyi Tu, and Sieglinde S. Snapp. with promising findings: “Overall, our results demonstrate that the reflectometer can provide more precise, accurate, and actionable estimates of soil C than current best data.”
Susan V. Fisk recently interviewed the paper’s co-author Sieglinde S. Snapp, who had the following insight: “We expect that as these tools become even more reliable and accessible, farmers will be better able to make informed management decisions. Policy can be more responsive to on-the-ground needs, with the ultimate outcome of improved livelihoods and improved food security.” This release was published in the Science News sections of the Soil Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, and the Crop Science Society of America this month.
The reflectometer is a 10-wavelength device that can measure spectral reflectance and correlate those measurements with data models to make functional predictions. To find out more about its capabilities or purchase a device yourself, visit our overview here.
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