Mapping nitrogen from satellite data to improve soil quality - A worked example

Abstract

Soils are complex ecosystems. They play a key role in providing sustainable life on Earth, meeting the needs of humans and regulating several environmental processes. The United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related 17 Goals include a commitment to the preservation of soil quality. However, the adopted indicators lack the measurement of a key nutrient: nitrogen. The aim of this paper is to call for the integration of two nitrogen indexes to measure soil quality and to present a worked example of geospatial technologies applied to nitrogen monitoring, aiding in farmland management and decision-making. Due to their inherent time/location precision, remote sensing data can provide insight in predicting the impact of agricultural practices and optimise their application.