Advancing Soil Science Through IoT: Applications, Challenges, and Opportunities

The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly transforming soil science, offering unprecedented capabilities for contemporary land management, environmental monitoring, and precision agriculture. Integrating sensor networks, wireless connectivity, and data analytics, IoT systems enable real-time soil health monitoring for sustainable and efficient resource utilization.

IoT applications are diverse and impactful. In precision agriculture, soil moisture sensors optimize irrigation schedules, while nutrient sensors identify levels of vital elements like nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium for targeted fertilization. Temperature and pH sensors further ensure ideal crop growth. Beyond agriculture, IoT evaluates salinity, identifies erosion, and monitors pollutants like pesticides and heavy metals. Smart irrigation systems reduce water consumption by 30-50% through automation based on real-time soil data and weather forecasts.

Crucially, IoT supports comprehensive soil health management. GPS-linked sensors map soil variability across vast farmlands, facilitating long-term tracking of organic matter content and enabling data-driven decisions for sustainable land use. An IoT soil system typically comprises: sensors for parameters like temperature, moisture, pH, salinity, and nutrients; microcontrollers or gateways (e.g., Arduino, Raspberry Pi) for data collection and processing; diverse connectivity methods (e.g., LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, Wi-Fi) for data transmission; cloud platforms (e.g., AWS IoT, Google Cloud IoT) for storage and advanced analytics; and visualization tools (dashboards, mobile apps) for real-time insights. Actuators like automated irrigation pumps or nutrient dosing systems then execute remedial actions, ensuring precise soil and crop management.

This proposal seeks contributions that advance the seamless integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies into the field of soil science. We are particularly interested in interdisciplinary approaches that leverage IoT to address pressing real-world challenges in soil management, environmental protection, and agricultural sustainability. The ultimate aim is to foster innovative solutions that enhance the efficiency, resilience, and sustainability of land use practices globally.

We invite interdisciplinary submissions exploring IoT applications in soil science, focusing on novel insights and solutions. Key topics include:
Sensor Technology: Enhancing the accuracy, robustness, and long-term stability of soil sensors for reliable data in diverse environments.

Communication Systems: Developing affordable, low-power communication solutions for dependable IoT operation in remote or underserved agricultural areas.

Data Integration & AI: Combining IoT soil data with satellite imagery, weather forecasts, and artificial intelligence to unlock powerful predictive capabilities and support smarter agricultural decision-making.

Accessibility & Scalability: Improving the accessibility, scalability, and maintainability of IoT systems, particularly for smallholder farmers, to democratize modern soil monitoring technology.

Data Security & Trust: Addressing the secure handling of sensitive soil and farm data to build farmer trust and prevent misuse.

Accepted article types, encouraging diverse perspectives and methodologies, include:
Brief Research Report, Community Case Study, Conceptual Analysis, Data Report, Editorial, Hypothesis and Theory, Methods, Mini Review, Opinion, Original Research, Perspective, Review, Systematic Review, and Technology and Code.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: IoT, Soil Management, Sustainable Agriculture, Real-Time Data, Precision Farming

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.