Automated analysis of VOCs and SVOCs in soils: Versatile options for extending analyte range and sensitivity
contributed by Markes International Ltd |
Introduction
Soils are fundamental to a wide range of ecosystem functions, and monitoring soil health is essential to ensure that these functions can be maintained. Unfortunately, robust indicators of soil health that could be widely adopted across the agricultural sector have remained elusive.
However, a promising avenue of research is the analysis of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs) released from soil. These compounds are produced by microbes, fungi, animals and plants, and many of them are essential for inter-species signalling in a way that is now beginning to be understood. As a result, obtaining an overview of the volatile profile of soil has promise as a diagnostic tool to determine soil health.
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