The USDA's Agricultural Research Service, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and the ARS’s Partnership for Data Innovations have launched a new web-based application to facilitate digital soil mapping and optimize soil sampling. The Soil Sample Planning Organizer Tool, called SSPOT, can be accessed at https://sspot.scinet.usda.gov.
Effective soil management relies on understanding the various factors that drive soil productivity, including pH levels, nutrient variability and organic soil carbon. Soil sampling has emerged as a valuable tool in advancing precision farming, particularly given a changing climate and the growing need to monitor carbon footprint in agriculture.
Land managers and researchers rely on routine soil sampling to monitor soil variability and determine the best practices to increase production while maintaining sustainability. However, they often face the challenge of identifying the optimal number of soil samples and their locations in complex and varied landscapes while managing limited time, resources, and labor.
Selecting a well-distributed set of sampling sites is crucial for effective soil management decisions. SSPOT aims to simplify this process.
SSPOT is a user-friendly tool with integrated algorithms to help users determine the optimal placement of samples needed to understand soil activity in various soil types over time. The integrated algorithms simplify the process and can save land managers, producers, and soil researchers both time and money.
Users can select their specific Area of Interest (AOI) on the SSPOT map and utilize one of two "optimizer" algorithms. The algorithms use the USDA's Soil Survey Geographic Database and customizable grids to ensure sampling activities are thorough and efficiently capture the full picture of soil health within the selected area. SSPOT enables users to customize parameters for their search and export the results for practical applications in the field.
"SSPOT is an example of collaborative science, where a multidisciplinary team of experts from academia, the federal government, and the private sector worked together to bring a vision to life," said Virginia Jin, a location coordinator and research leader with the ARS Agroecosystem Management Research Unit. "We are confident that this tool can push forward the advancement of research for the benefit of croplands, grazing lands, and forestry."
A version of SSPOT also will support the USDA's National Resources Conservation Services in its conservation evaluation and monitoring activity efforts, including soil sampling needs.
SSPOT is part of ongoing collaborations between the USDA, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Partnership for Data Innovations, which are aiming to strategize soil sampling to improve soil health.
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