{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Mapping soil suitability using phenological information derived from MODIS time series data in a semi-arid region: A case study of Khouribga, Morocco.
{Author}: Ismaili M;Krimissa S;Namous M;Abdelrahman K;Boudhar A;Edahbi M;Lebrini Y;Htitiou A;Maimouni S;Benabdelouhab T;
{Journal}: Heliyon
{Volume}: 10
{Issue}: 2
{Year}: 2024 Jan 30
{Factor}: 3.776
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24101
{Abstract}: To address the increasing global demand for food, it is crucial to implement sustainable agricultural practices, which include effective soil management techniques for enhancing productivity and environmental conditions. In this regard, a study was conducted to assess the efficacy of utilizing phenological metrics derived from satellite data in order to map and identify suitable agricultural soil within a semi-arid region. Two distinct methodologies were compared: one based on physicochemical soil parameters and the other utilizing the phenological response of vegetation through the application of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) Modis-time series. The study findings indicated that the NDVI-based approach successfully identified a specific class of soil suitability for agriculture (referred to as S1) that could not be effectively mapped using the multi-criteria analysis (MCAD) method relying on soil physicochemical parameters. This S1 class of soil suitability accounted for approximately 5 % of the total study area. These outcomes suggest that phenological-based approaches offer greater potential for spatio-temporal monitoring of soil suitability status compared to MCAD, which heavily relies on discrete observations and necessitates frequent updates of soil parameters. The approach developed to map the soil-suitability is a valuable tool for sustainable agricultural development, and it can play an effective role in ensuring food security and conducting a land agriculture assessment.