|
Project properties |
|
| Title | Comparing spectroscopic and biological indicators for soil health assessment |
| Group | Soil Biology |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 36-39 |
| Supervisor(s) | Paolo Di Lonardo and Titia Mulder |
| Examiner(s) | TBD |
| Contact info | paolo.dilonardo@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2025/09/01 |
| End date | |
| Description | Within the BENCHMARKS project, we are currently offering an MSc thesis opportunity that focuses on evaluating soil health through a comparison of Near-Infrared (NIR) and Mid-Infrared (MIR) spectroscopy with biological soil measurements. This topic addresses the growing need for reliable, rapid, and cost-effective soil health indicators and aims to explore the potential of spectroscopic techniques as proxies for more time-consuming biological assessments.
The work will focus on a set of soil samples that have already been collected, but key laboratory analyses, especially NIR and MIR spectroscopy, still need to be carried out. Once completed, these spectroscopic results will be statistically compared with biological soil measurements to evaluate their correlation, agreement, and potential as predictive indicators of soil health. The thesis will require a solid understanding of statistics, particularly in areas such as regression analysis, multivariate techniques, and method comparison frameworks. Due to its interdisciplinary nature, the thesis will be carried out in collaboration between the Soil Geography and Landscape group (SGL) and the Soil Biology group (SBL). You will have the opportunity to work at the intersection of soil science, biology, and data analysis, contributing to an innovative area of research with practical implications for sustainable land management and soil monitoring. This is an excellent opportunity for students interested in applied soil science, data-driven approaches, and the development of tools for agricultural and environmental decision-making. |
| Used skills | |
| Requirements | |