The 5th of December has been established by United Nations as the World Soil Day. The choice to have the workshop on these dates will be a unique opportunity to increase the visibility of soil spectroscopy, which will be a pillar for the establishment of a sustainable global soil monitoring system.

This workshop will deal with three main topics :

1. Soil spectroscopy: new techniques, calibration-validation, and analysis of large scale spectral libraries

Keynote speakers: David J. Brown, Viscara Rossel.

The first day will be characterized by the most technical sessions of the workshop. The two  sessions of the day should provide the audience with an overview of (I) the new soil spectroscopy analytical techniques developed in the last five years, (II) the calibration-validation problem and its relation to scale and space, (III) the analysis of the large scale spectral libraries, and (IV) the application of laboratory and field spectroscopy data for the calibration of hyperspectral images.

2.Soil spectroscopy to monitor the state of soil resources in the present and in the future

Keynote speakers: Keith Shepherd, Jose Demattê

The audience will be most likely expanded to policy makers and stakeholders that will be invited to hear about soil spectroscopy as the new technique to monitor soil properties. The two sessions of the day will be characterized by outstanding examples of daily use of integrated or stand-alone applications of soil spectroscopy to monitor the state of soil resources, and the integration of soil spectroscopy in the digital mapping of soil properties.

3. Harmonization of the protocol for the collection of laboratory spectra

Keynote speakers: Eyal Ben-Dor, Pierre Dardenne

Many spectral libraries have been created without a standard able to guarantee data quality, repeatability accuracy, and data sharing. The two sessions of the day will focus on the strategy to define the best practice guidelines for soil spectroscopic analysis. Abstract showing the effect of laboratory protocols, spectrometers and laboratory reference methods on soil spectral measurements and models are expected.

Logistics

Workshop is open as no registration fee is requested. There will be a number of participants limited to 80.

Whoever interested in participating to the workshop, even if not included in the program, should register at the GSP website.

Unfortunately, no funds will be available to cover travel or accommodation costs. The participants are requested to make their own hotel reservations (location of FAO headquarter).