Estimation of stability-related soil properties using mid-infrared spectroscopy for non-agricultural land use in Lake Victoria basin, Kenya

Methods for rapid and accurate soil tests are needed for stability-related soil properties, which are valuable for non-agricultural land use. The study tested the applicability of mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy for rapid estimation of selected stability-related soil properties. Two sample sets, representing different soils from across the Lake Victoria basin of Kenya, were used for the study. A model calibration set (n = 135) was obtained following a conditioned Latin hypercube sampling, and a validation set (n = 120) was obtained from independent sites using a spatially stratified random sampling strategy. Air-dried and ground (