LandPKS

About LandPKS

Knowledge for sustainable land management – in your hands!

The LandPKS app helps users make more sustainable land management decisions by allowing them to collect geo-located data about their soils and vegetation. It then provides users with information about their site. It also provides free cloud storage and sharing, which means that you can access your data from any computer from our Data Portal at http://portal.landpotential.org. The LandPKS app does not require a data connection to be used, and users can upload their data when they have connectivity. The LandPKS app currently includes three modules: LandInfo, LandCover, and the brand new LandManagement.

LandInfo makes site and soil characterization fast and easy! The app walks the user through how to hand texture their soil, and document other important site characteristics. Version 3.2 includes the new Soil Color function, which allows the user to determine the color of their soil sample by taking a photo of the sample next to a reference card.

This version also includes the new Land Capability Classification (LCC) results in the Report page. LCC classifies the land into 8 different classes based on sustainable production potential based on Slope, Soil Texture, and Soil Limitations. This can be used for land use planning and land management.

LandCover is a simple tool for rapidly collecting and recording vegetation cover using a 1 meter or yard stick. The module walks a user through collecting vegetation data using a point-intercept method at 5 points at 20 locations in each plot. Cover results are automatically calculated on the phone and delivered to users as simple graphs, including cover trends over time.

SoilID is a brand-new function allows you to instantly access to information about soils mapped at and near your location with the phone’s GPS or a simple tap on the map. LandPKS’s powerful global soil identification (SoilID) algorithm predicts your soil using your location, LandInfo data and the same logic used by professional soil scientists.

LandManagement is a new recordkeeping module for recording, organizing, and accessing land management activities in the past, present or planned for the future. With no records, farmers must depend on their memory while making decisions about future management activities. However, memories can become unreliable after a few months or years. Management activities, such as plantings, tillage, fertilizer, lime, weed and pest management, harvest and residue management, can be recorded by date. LandManagement reports can be generated for a user selected date range to review a history of management activities applied or to see management activities scheduled for future dates.


Learn more about the LandPKS app on the LandPotential.org website. Training resources, including guides and online trainings, are also available on the website.

The LandPKS app was developed by USDA-ARS in collaboration with CU Boulder and NMSU with support from USAID, BLM and NRCS.