In-situ and remote sensing characterization of salinity-affected agricultural areas in the Po River Delta

Salinity-induced land degradation in agricultural areas poses significant challenges to sustainable farming practices, particularly in regions like the Po River Delta, an area where agricultural land lies several meters below mean sea level. This Thesis explores the characterization of salinity-affected agricultural areas through a combination of in-situ and remote sensing techniques. By employing drone-based remote sensing, remote sensing technologies, and laboratory analysis, the study tackles the complexities of soil salinization and vegetation stress in the Po Delta region, in an area near Porto Tolle where soil salinization has been documented in previous years. Utilizing multi-spectral images from the Planet data provider, this work maps vegetation stress responses to salinity using the NDVI index. Fieldwork involved the collection and analysis of 16 soil samples from the surface and from a depth of about 50 cm along a transect to explore if traces of past salinization events are identifiable. The integration of soil salinity data with drone and satellite multispectral data facilitated a comprehensive mapping study of salinity-affected agricultural land, highlighting the utility of remote sensing in monitoring land degradation processes in relation to the resolution of the data. By correlating remote sensing data with laboratory results, this thesis contributes to define the accuracy and repeatability of remote-sensing observations to derive quantitative information on the spatial and temporal distribution of soil salinization, with implications for decision making in the management of reclaimed agricultural land in the Po River Delta.