8 The Business of Prairie Agriculture Better Farming | March 2024 Research A RENAISSANCE IN SOIL MAPPING New technology will measure soil properties at a lower cost with less time commitment. By Stephanie Rogers Dr. Brandon Heung likes thinking about soil. “I certainly liked digging holes and things like that as a kid, but I guess a lot of my interest in soil is that it is the interface of many of our vital earth systems,” he says. “Soils are the centre of my universe. The better our soil functions, the better everything works because soil security is related to water security, food security, energy security, ecosystem services; soil is everything, when you think about it.” Heung’s work falls under the umbrella of soil mapping and understanding its spatial and temporal variability – how it changes over space and time. “As far as I know, I’m the first PhD student that did predictive soil mapping focusing on machine learning in Canada.” Soil mapping is just as it sounds. It’s an actual map that shows the various types of soil properties that are of interest to various stakeholders. But Heung takes things one step further. “I do work related to modeling soil status, so, ‘what is the state of our soil right now?’ Looking at techniques to monitor soil change and how well the soil functions based off soil properties,” he explains. He then transforms that data into knowledge that will help a farmer or a forester or even a higher-level policymaker in terms of defining their carbon policy and climate change mitigation strategies. Indicators of soil health Understanding soil health over space and time and determining threats to soil health are important predictors of the long-term viability of our soils. Erosion is a major concern. Heung Dr. Brandon Heung, now an associate professor, was the first PhD student to work with predictive soil mapping focusing on machine learning in Canada. Brandon Heung photo … the top producers across the Prairies for just PENNIES per adult reader! Paul.Nolan@Farms.com ADVERTISERS REACH ...
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