Volume: 4, 2025
4th International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: P010
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL4.P010
Published online: 9 April 2025
ICDSUPL, 4, P010 (2025)
Effect of soil chemical properties on potato vegetation index
Renata Leszczyńska1*, Stanisław Samborski1
1 Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agriculture, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
* Corresponding author: renata_leszczynska@sggw.edu.pl
Abstract
Assessment of soil chemical properties is crucial in studies on the impact of soil on plant health and productivity. The NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) is an effective tool for evaluating various aspects of plant condition, reflecting their photosynthetic capacity and overall health. Understanding the relationships between soil chemical composition and NDVI values can help optimize agricultural practices and enhance soil resource management. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of soil chemical properties on the NDVI plant index to determine their influence on plant condition across three commercial potato fields. The study was conducted on three fields in the Masovian Voivodeship from 2020 to 2022 at the Agricultural Experimental Station in Wilanów Obory. Drone flights with a Phantom 4 Multispectral were carried out at two-week intervals, with 4, 5, and 5 flights in each respective year. Sampling areas of 3 m² were designated on each field, with a total of 40, 21, and 20 areas selected in 2020, 2021, and 2022. The research was based on utilizing the natural spatial variability of the soil. Soil samples were collected from the designated sampling areas for chemical property analysis: pH (measured in a 1-mol KCl solution using a CG 842 Hofheim SCHOTT, Geräte GmbH pH meter, Germany), C, N, S (analyzed using the Elementar vario Macro Cube – GmbH Donaustraße, Germany), and P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Co, Ni (analyzed with a Thermo Scientific iCE 3000 Series AA Spectrometer, Cambridge, UK – except for P, which was analyzed using the ICP-OES Avio 200 – PerkinElmer, USA). Orthorectified reflectance maps were prepared using Pix4Dfields computer software (Pix4D S.A., Prilly, Switzerland); NDVI calculation was performed in QGIS 3.16, and Principal Component Analysis was conducted in Statistica 13.3 by TIBCO Software Inc. The effect of soil chemical properties on NDVI values was year- and field-specific, thus difficult to generalize. However, among the tested soil chemical properties, only soil fertility in Fe had a significant, negative impact on NDVI values measured across the potato vegetation season. The NDVI values measured at different dates (potato growth stages) were strongly correlated with each other, indicating that the number of flights required for monitoring potato canopy can be reduced.
Keywords: micronutrients, macronutrients, NDVI, spatial variability
How to cite
R. Leszczyńska, S. Samborski, 2025. Effect of soil chemical properties on potato vegetation index. In: 4th International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL4.P010