Sidorov et al. (2026) Remote Determination of Soil Moisture by Microwave Radiometry Methods from Space and from a UAV

Identification

• Journal: Lecture notes in networks and systems
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-01
• Authors: Igor Sidorov, Alexandr Gudkov, V. D. Shashurin, Vitalij Yu. Leushin, Sergey V. Chizhikov, Eugenij Novichikhin, N. F. Khokhlov
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-05751-8_12

Research Groups

• Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Russia
• LLC “SPI FIRM” “HYPERION”, Moscow, Russia
• IRE RAS Name After V.A.Kotelnikov, Moscow, Russia
• RSAU MTAA Name After K.A.Timiryazev, Moscow, Russia

Short Summary

This paper investigates the remote determination of soil moisture using microwave radiometry from both spacecraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comparing the characteristics of resulting digital soil moisture maps and evaluating their integration into precision farming systems. The study presents results from flight tests of a microwave radiometer across various climatic zones, demonstrating the method's advantages and prospects, including the potential for reduced sensor mass and dimensions.

Objective

• To consider the possibility of remote determination of soil moisture using microwave radiometry from spacecraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.
• To compare the characteristics of digital soil moisture maps obtained from space and from UAVs.
• To evaluate the prospects of integrating digital soil moisture maps into precision farming systems.
• To describe the possibility of reducing the mass and dimensions of the sensor equipment for soil moisture determination.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: From field-level (UAV) to regional/global (spacecraft) for creating digital soil moisture maps; flight tests conducted in various climatic zones.
• Temporal Scale: Specific flight test campaigns for data collection; the study synthesizes work presented at conferences in 2022 and 2023.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Microwave radiometry methods for passive remote sensing of soil moisture.
• Data sources: Primary data collected by a microwave radiometer deployed on unmanned aerial vehicles and, conceptually, from spacecraft.

Main Results

• The study successfully compared the characteristics of digital soil moisture maps derived from spaceborne and UAV-borne microwave radiometry.
• It substantiated the relevance of remote soil moisture measurement for agriculture, particularly for precision farming systems, and evaluated the prospects of integrating these digital maps.
• The research demonstrated the feasibility of reducing the mass and dimensions of the sensor equipment for microwave radiometers.
• Flight tests of a microwave radiometer were successfully conducted in various climatic zones, providing empirical evidence for the method's effectiveness.
• Conclusions were drawn regarding the advantages and future prospects of the proposed microwave radiometry method for remote soil moisture determination.

Contributions

• Provides a comparative analysis of soil moisture mapping capabilities from two distinct remote sensing platforms: spacecraft and UAVs, using microwave radiometry.
• Highlights the practical application and integration potential of remotely sensed soil moisture data for precision agriculture.
• Demonstrates the development and successful flight testing of a compact microwave radiometer, addressing the need for reduced sensor mass and dimensions.
• Offers empirical validation of the microwave radiometry method through tests in diverse climatic conditions.

Funding

• Russian Science Foundation, Grant No. 22-19-00063

Citation

@article{Sidorov2026Remote,
  author = {Sidorov, Igor and Gudkov, Alexandr and Shashurin, V. D. and Leushin, Vitalij Yu. and Chizhikov, Sergey V. and Novichikhin, Eugenij and Khokhlov, N. F.},
  title = {Remote Determination of Soil Moisture by Microwave Radiometry Methods from Space and from a UAV},
  journal = {Lecture notes in networks and systems},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-032-05751-8_12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-05751-8_12}
}