Veldset

Veldset is a term used in data management and environmental monitoring to describe a structured collection of measurements associated with a particular field or location. The word blends veld, the Dutch for field, with set, signaling a curated group of records. In practice, a veldset functions as a dataset that ties sensor readings to spatial and temporal context, enabling field-level analysis.

A veldset typically includes an identifier, geographic coordinates, a timestamp, and a set of measured variables such as soil moisture, temperature, pH, salinity, crop canopy height, or atmospheric conditions. Each record represents a single observation or a group of related observations. The schema is intentionally flexible to accommodate different instrument configurations, but common designs use a flat or nested structure with keys for location, time, and variables. Data can be stored in JSON, CSV, Parquet, or other formats, and may be geotagged using coordinates or a field polygon.

Applications for veldsets include precision agriculture to inform irrigation and fertilization, ecological studies to monitor field plots, and land-management programs to track changes over time. Interoperability with geospatial standards and sensor networks improves data sharing and reuse.

Origin and usage notes: the term is not part of a single universal standard and is used primarily in operational or regional contexts, sometimes as a synonym for field dataset or field-level data collection. As with any field data collection, careful metadata and provenance are important.

See also: field data, geospatial data, sensor networks, precision agriculture.