Data Collection

Once the use case(s) and the aim of the Soil Information Systems (SIS) are defined by all stakeholders, including data providers, funders and users, the development of the SIS starts with the collection of soil data. This can entail getting access to existing data, collecting new data in the field, or a combination of both. Collection of existing or legacy soil data is addressed in Data organization. The new soil data collection process can be subdivided in two stages:

  • Design of a field campaign: from defining exact data needs, the methods, standards, and protocols to use, to planning the logistics of the field campaign including anticipating changes in the design.
  • Execution of field work: collecting data and samples up to shipping them to a lab and uploading the field data on the designated servers for data organization and including documenting any changes made during execution compared to the design. Important is that the digital data collection tools integrate with server based/central database of the SIS to ensure online data uploading.

This workflow step introduces various standards and tools available to facilitate the collection of new soil or soil-related data that can be considered during the design of a field campaign.

Intensive and widespread use of pesticides raises serious environmental and human health concerns. The presence and levels of 209 pesticide residues (active substances and transformation products) in 625 environmental samples (201 soil, 193 crop, 20 …

The Field Book summarizes the present science and art of describing and documenting soils and soilscapes in the USA. The intended audience is professionals who describe soils for various purposes. The Field Book includes key descriptors, conventions, …

This guidelines provide a complete procedure for soil description and for collecting field data necessary for classification according to second edition of the World Soil Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) 2006

Providing information on the soils of the world is an enormous task and this page provides insight about various international standards that exists on the topics of: Collection Management Plans Soil glossaries Soil description and sampling Soil …

This report discusses the soil reference collection of ISRIC and its curation in relation to the functions of the World Soil Museum and ISRIC - World Soil Information itself. https://www.isric.org/sites/default/files/isric_report_2021_01.pdf

The soil reference collection of ISRIC - World Soil Information is a unique resource. It is used for research and display in the World Soil Museum of ISRIC. This report describes the current collection management practice and our strategy to …

A new open-access field work tool for soil description is now available through ISRIC – World Soil Information: Soil Description DevTool. This tool is for people doing field work who will describe soils using the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture …

Africa Soil Information Service (AfSIS), a collaborative project led by the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute (TSBF) of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), based in Nairobi, will attempt to narrow sub-Saharan …

The Soil Survey Manual, provides the major principles and practices needed for making and using soil surveys and for assembling and using related data. The term “soil survey” is used here to encompass the process of mapping, describing, classifying, …

Scientific research often starts with data collection. However, many researchers pay insufficient attention to this first step in their research. The author, researcher at Wageningen University and Research, often had to conclude that the data …

Soil classification is necessary to predict its behavior and identify limitations that allow us to make correct management decisions in the agricultural, livestock, forestry, urban, environmental, and health fields to name a few of the most …