Evaluation of Soil Microbial Activity Using Organic Matter Decomposition Images

Abstract

In this study, we propose a method that enables continuous measurement by recording the decomposition state of the decomposing material in images to evaluate soil microbial activity. We periodically photographed the sides of the planters, calculated the average brightness of the decomposing material, and compared it with the decomposition of tea leaves. We also calculated the ratio of the average brightness of the decomposing material to that of the reference material using the results of photographs taken with different cameras and under different moisture conditions, and compared the results. The average brightness of the decomposing material showed a decreasing trend and was positively correlated with the decomposition of tea leaves. In a study using multiple cameras under different moisture conditions, it was found that none of the imaging methods were suitable for evaluating the decomposition state, suggesting the need to determine the moisture conditions. In the future, we plan to investigate changes in the brightness values of the decomposing materials using non-woven masks.