Soil Technology News
Sensoterra offering wireless solutions for real time soil moisture measurement
Sensoterra, a leading technology company, offering low-cost, wireless solutions for real time soil moisture measurement for commercial farms
AI-powered technology will help farmers health-check soil and waters
Agriculture consumes more than 70 percent of the world’s annual water usage. With small farms producing nearly 80 percent of food for the developing world, ensuring the quality and safety of our water supply is critical.
NZ ag-tech company buys Tassie soil mapper
A New Zealand ag-tech company specialising in remote sensors has made its maiden move on the Australian market, buying Tasmanian soil mapper Ag Logic for $320,000 in cash and shares.
Semtech’s LoRa Technology Enables Smart Soil Sensors
Semtech Corporation (Nasdaq: SMTC), a leading supplier of high performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms, announced that Teralytic, a manufacturer of wireless soil sensors
Spectrum Launches TDR 350 Soil Moisture Meter
Spectrum Technologies, Inc., the leading manufacturer of plant measurement technology, has announced the launch of the FieldScout TDR 350, the next generation to the TDR 300 series.
Low-cost digital soil-testing technology developed by IARI
A low-cost digital soil-testing technology developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), has been tweaked by a sister ICAR institute and the licence for its manufacture and sale given to a sole private company.
Variable Rate Technology (VRT) to Map Soil Quality
Indigenous version of Variable Rate Technology (VRT) to enhance the soil nutrients and productivity for Indian farmers launched by RML Agtech, a technology-based farm solutions provider.
SoilWeb Products to Access Soil Survey Data (SSURGO)
SoilWeb products can be used to access USDA-NCSS detailed soil survey data (SSURGO) for most of the United States.
AgTech : Rotation of Crop boosts soil microbes which benefits plant growth
New research from the University of New Hampshire shows that crop rotations, in isolation from other management factors, can increase the functions performed by soil microbial communities that benefit plant growth.
Researchers tested five combinations of three crops - soy, wheat, and corn - and two cover crops - red clover and rye. They also planted a crop of only corn, while minimizing the effects of other management practices such as variable fertilizer and pesticide inputs that interfere with the crop rotation effect.
It has been seen that a 33 percent increase in soil carbon by increasing rotational diversity. An indication of soil organic matter, the carbon content of soil is a major factor in its overall health and improves the physical properties of soil. Researchers also found that as crop diversity increased, so did total nitrogen concentrations, a sign of soil fertility.
Increasing plant biodiversity by crop rotation is a powerful tool for farmers to increase soil quality. Even increasing rotation by one or two crops, especially if cover crops are used, will improve soil physical, chemical, and biological processes that help regulate yields and environmental quality.