Dr. Ádám Csorba - MATE Research
Overview
Dr. Ádám Csorba is an associate professor at the Department of Soil Science, Institute of Environmental Sciences.
His research focuses on the application of visible and near-infrared (VNIR) and middle-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy in soil-related application. His expertise lies in developing spectral-based models for predicting soil properties and building spectral libraries.
Ádám Csorba’s work contributes to questions of how the spectroscopic technologies can be integrated into the workflow of soil analysis, how can the spectra be utilized to predict key physical and chemical soil properties on different spatial scales and how MIR spectra can be used to quantify soil organic carbon fractions.
Across his research, he uses a wide range chemometric and artificial intelligence-based methods to derive soil information from the spectral measurements.
He made significant contributions in the development of a country-scale soil spectral library in the frame of the Agrotechnology National Laboratory project.
He authored and co-authored 15 research articles in high-impact scientific journals.
Adam Csorba has collaborated with research groups across Europe and Africa, and he has successfully applied for H2020 and Horizon Europe grants.
Research keywords:
Publications
Phenson, J., Csorba, Á.*, Ocansey, C. M., Rotich, B., Isaiah, M., Lameck, A. S., Abdulkadir, M., MohammedZein, M. A., Michéli, E., Gelsleichter, Y. A. (2025): Awareness and adoption strategies for improved agricultural practices (IAPs) by smallholder farmers in the Mbeya Region, Tanzania. Discover Sustainability, 6 (1), 198, 18 p. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-00970-y
Rotich, B., Szegi, T., Gelsleichter, Y. A., Fuchs, M., Ocansey, C. M., Phensin, J. N., Abdulkadir, M., Kipkulei, H., Wawire, A., Mutuma, E., Mesele, S. A., Michéli, E., Csorba, Á. (2025): Variation in Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen Stocks Across Elevation Gradients and Soil Depths in the Mount Kenya East Forest. LAND, 14(6), Paper: 1217, 17 p. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14061217
Csorba, Á., Szegi, T., Várszegi, G., Nagy, G., Michéli, E. (2024): A talajspektrális könyvtárak nemzetközi jelentősége és hazai megalapozása (The international importance and national establishment of soil spectral libraries). Agrokémia és Talajtan, 73(1), 86 – 100 pp. https://doi.org/10.1556/0088.2023.00156
Micheli, E., Csorba, Á., Láng, V., Szegi, T., Székács, A., Várszegi, G., Fuchs, M., Pásztor, L., Dobos, E. (2022): Soil priorities for Hungary. Geoderma Regional, 29, e00521 DOI: 10.1016/j.geodrs.2022.e00521
Projects
African Union Soil Observatory – AUSO
https://auso.faraafrica.org/
AUSO is a Horizon Europe-funded initiative to establish a continent-wide soil information system for Africa, addressing critical data gaps that currently hinder sustainable land and agricultural management. AUSO will consolidate soil data into an African Soil Data Centre (ASDAC) and an interactive Soil Health Dashboard, enabling continuous soil health monitoring, evidence-based policymaking, and targeted land management interventions across the continent. The project builds on previous efforts such as Soils4Africa, is coordinated by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and owned by the African Union Commission, and engages partners from both Africa and Europe to support national soil strategies and strengthen soil data systems in at least 12 countries. By providing reliable, harmonised soil information, AUSO will support sustainable agriculture, food security, and resilience to environmental challenges at local, national, and regional levels.
Soil Information System for Africa - Soils4Africa
https://www.soils4africa-h2020.eu/
Soils4Africa was a Horizon 2020 funded project that developed a continent-wide, open-access Soil Information System (SIS), providing harmonised soil data and a consistent set of key soil quality indicators for African agricultural land. The project was built on standardised field and laboratory methods and a large, statistically representative soil sampling campaign, enabling comparable soil information across participating countries. The SIS supported evidence-based decision-making for sustainable agricultural intensification, food security, and soil health management, and was designed to be hosted and maintained by an African institution as part of a broader knowledge platform. By integrating new soil data with open earth observation information, Soils4Africa promoted open science, strengthened Africa-Europe collaboration, and enhanced the capacity for soil information services across the continent.
Long-term EU-AU Research and Innovation Partnership for Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture – LEAP4FNSSA
https://leap4fnssa.eu/
LEAP4FNSSA was a Horizon 2020 Coordination and Support Action that aimed to establish a sustainable bi-continental platform to strengthen research and innovation cooperation between Europe and Africa in the area of food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture. The project worked to improve synergies and coherence among research actors, initiatives, and programmes through institutional collaboration, knowledge exchange, and structured dialogue. One of its key achievements was the launch of the Africa-Europe International Research Consortium on FNSSA, designed to provide a long-term framework for joint research and innovation aligned with the AU-EU FNSSA roadmap. By building this platform, LEAP4FNSSA helped improve coordination, shared learning, and the overall impact of science and innovation efforts addressing food security and sustainable agriculture challenges across both continents.
