Researcher, agr., Ph.D.
418 643-2380
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Project Manager – Pedology, agr.
418 643-2380
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The analysis of images of soil aggregates with a mobile application would facilitate the field assessment of the structural state of the soil or its physical quality depending on the soil type. The physical (porosity, size, angle, color) and geometric characteristics of the soil aggregates photographed as part of the Study of the state of health of agricultural soils in Quebec (EESSAQ) will first be identified to reveal the state structural of soils. The other physical properties and characteristics measured in the laboratory as well as the morphological descriptions of the soil profile reported by the sampling team will be used as training variables to develop an artificial intelligence image recognition model. In parallel and prior to this work, a monitoring committee including various expertise from MAPAQ and AAC will be consulted to supervise the work and define the scope of the application. An analysis of similar or complementary tools will also be carried out to optimize the reach of the mobile application developed.
Using available AI tools, this project will explore the potential of images of disintegrated soil to reveal its structural state or physical quality to ultimately develop a smartphone application capable of analyzing and evaluating in the field the physical quality of a soil profile.
The project aims more specifically to:
From 2020 to 2023
Project duration
Field crops
Activity areas
Soil health
Service
Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec | UQÀM
This project is to arouse interest in approaches to soil health and conservation and to promote their adoption by a greater number of Quebec field crop farmers.
Researchers: Marc-Olivier Gasser Catherine Bossé
Ten test sites will operate over a two-year period on farms spread over ten Québec regions to compare the performance of winter and spring cereals.
Researchers: Marc-Olivier Gasser Caroline Côté Luc Belzile
Canola and wheat (wheat-corn-canola rotation) were planted in 2016 and 2017, respectively, on 12 experimental plots with tillage practices on the main plots (minimum tillage and chisel plow) and fertilization methods (mineral fertilizers, 25 m3/ha of pig manure and 50 m3/ha of pig manure) in the subplots.
Researchers: Caroline Côté Marc-Olivier Gasser