Laboratory Spectroscopy Assessments of Rainfed Paddy Soil Samples on Visible and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Reflectance for Estimating Soil Organic Carbon

Visible and near-infrared spectroscopy is a rapid, less expensive, and nondestructive alternative to conventional methods of soil analysis. This study aimed to investigate appropriate soil sample preparations and particle sizes for estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) through the use of laboratory spectroscopy. Rainfed paddy soils were sampled from 240 sampling sites to record their spectral reflectance and to measure their SOC contents in the laboratory. Partial least squares regression was applied to select the best model to estimate SOC using soil spectra. The results showed that the highest accuracy of SOC estimation was gained from soil samples prepared by 2 mm sieving. A short-wave infrared region was the most appropriate spectral wavelength for SOC estimation of rainfed paddy soil. Although the model showed potential in SOC prediction, the accuracy of partial least squares regression prediction in each spectral region varied between sampling times. Therefore, these models and methods should be further tested in soils sampled from different seasons and other regions to prove consistent validity. However, these results are useful for wavelength selection and soil sample preparation in future laboratory spectroscopy.