Exploring Soil Properties from Spectrometry for Better Management in the Abay River Basin

The objective of this study is to evaluate how soil bunds affect important soil characteristics based on soil reflectance in Kecha, a midland in the Ethiopian Abay River Basin. River BasinSoil samples were taken from 48 plots at 0–30 cm depth and were analyzed for soil texture, pH, organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (av. P), and potassium (av. K). The reflectance of air-dried, pulverized, and sieved soils was evaluated using a spectroradiometer. Regression modeling was used to locate and forecast changes in soil parameters. Soil properties were identified and predicted using the models, which were evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE). The model results showed that soils from bunded plots had less reflection, and the coefficient of determination (R2) was excellent (0.96) and (0.93) for the soil brightness index and reflectanceReflectance spectroscopy using polynomial and linear models for soil OC and clay contents, respectively. Spectroradiometry could therefore complement conventional soil analysis, but more studies are needed to enhance its predictionPrediction performance.