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Reply on RC2
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This paper is a peer-review response document (Reply on RC2) associated with a study using UAV remote sensing and proximal sensing to monitor plastic film residues on agricultural soils. The underlying research investigates using drone-based imaging to track macroplastic and potentially microplastic precursors in croplands, which could enable large-scale monitoring of plastic pollution from agricultural plastic use.
Abstract. Plastic films have been improving agricultural production and covering an increasing surface area of cropland in the last decades. Yet their use has been connected to the generation of plastic residues, potentially acting as a main secondary microplastic source in agricultural soils. Monitoring the generation of plastic film residues is crucial for identifying good management practices and assessing the risk of plastic use in agriculture. Remote sensing has been qualified as a valuable tool for monitoring macroplastic mainly on waters, while its use on agricultural soils is mostly unexplored. Our study combined proximal and remote sensing techniques to lay the foundations of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) use for monitoring macroplastic film residues on cropland. Through proximal and UAV acquisitions of five-bands multispectral data (i.e., blue, green, red, red edge, near infrared), we highlighted the potential of off-the-shelf miniaturised sensors and identified possible workflows for detecting macroplastic film residues. Our findings highlight a greater efficacy of spatial resolution over spectral resolution, encouraging the use of high-resolution RGB cameras over multispectral cameras. Through proximal acquisitions of hyperspectral data, we built spectral libraries and located absorption peaks for the most commonly used plastic films. We highlighted that these absorption peaks unambiguously identify plastic films on cropland and offer the potential to distinguish plastic types, encouraging the development of sensors tailored for plastic detection.
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Reply on RC1
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This paper is a peer-review response document (Reply on RC1) for the same UAV remote sensing study of agricultural plastic film residues. The underlying research explores using drone imaging to monitor plastic contamination on farmland, which could provide scalable tools for tracking how agricultural plastics degrade and shed microplastics into soils.
Plastic film residues on cropland: monitoring soil contamination through optical remote sensing
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Researchers used optical remote sensing to monitor plastic film residues on agricultural cropland, demonstrating that satellite-based methods can detect surface plastic contamination across large areas. The study provides a scalable approach for tracking agricultural plastic residues — a major secondary microplastic source in soils — without the labor intensity of field sampling.
Reply on RC2
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This is a peer review response (reply to reviewer comment 2) for a study on microplastic release from agricultural polyethylene and polypropylene plastic covers. The manuscript examines whether these covers contribute microplastic debris to soil environments.
Reply on RC2
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This is an author response to a second reviewer comment on a study examining microplastic effects on soil properties and water erosion. The response engages with methodological critiques and the significance of findings for agricultural and erosion research.
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Researchers developed an approach for evaluating the level of plastic residue contamination in agricultural soils, providing a method framework for routine monitoring. The study addresses the challenge that plastic residues from mulch films and other agricultural inputs are accumulating in farmland soils globally.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.