Natural Resources, School of
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
7-2025
Abstract
Agrogeophysics is a convergence of proximal soil sensing and hydrogeophysics in which geophysical methods are used to describe soil patterns and dynamics that shape agronomic management (including precision agriculture). To fully realize its potential for optimizing agricultural production, current barriers and targets for future agrogeophysics research must be identified. In this review, we compare the trajectory of agrogeophysics within peer-reviewed literature, patents, and the US university extension literature and examine the current challenges and opportunities for supporting agricultural production and sustainability with agrogeophysical tools. We conducted a repeatable search of Web of Science and Scopus for seven geophysical methods (electromagnetic induction, electrical resistivity, ground-penetrating radar, optical sensing [visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy; Vis-NIR]), gamma-ray spectroscopy, cosmic-ray neutron sensing, and seismic sensing), used cooperative patent classifications to search Google Patents, and used Google to search land-grant university extension websites. The timeframe searched was from January 1986 to December 2024. We found that peer-reviewed literature on agrogeophysics began to grow in 2001, extension articles have marginally increased since 1993, and patents boomed in 2020. Electrical resistivity, electromagnetic induction, and Vis-NIR were the most prevalent geophysical methods used in agricultural settings across the three knowledge bases. We identified five categories of challenge and opportunity in agrogeophysics: pedophysical relationships, scale, usability, profitability, and soil organic carbon accounting. As the upward trend in agrogeophysics research and patents continues, strategic focus on the challenges and opportunities outlined in this review will propel geophysical tools toward playing a valuable role in agricultural management.
Included in
Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons
Comments
Open access
License: CC BY