GrainsWest Tech 2020

Tech 2020 grainswest.com 33 WHEEL OF FORTUNE SoilReader is a precision soil analysis tool that provides real-time, multi-constituent, variable-depth and on-the-go information on nine soil components. Essentially, it is a coulter fitted with a spectrometer that collects and analyzes data as it cuts through the soil. Cal Harrison, SoilReader vice-president of marketing, said the company chose to launch its product at Agritechnica because he believes the technology will be relevant to farmers worldwide. SoilReader now measures nine constituents: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, soil organic matter, moisture, clay, sand, electrical conductivity and pH. The company believes it can raise the number to 22 constituents before running out of measurables. The sensor collects approximately 6,900 data points per acre, and SoilReader feeds constituent data right into the cab or in real-time to a variable rate applicator. Cloud connectivity is not necessary for the application to function. “Imagine a giant pizza cutter attached to a farm implement that’s being dragged through the soil,” said Harrison. “As it’s going through the soil there’s a little light going around and around on the side. As the light goes into the ground it reflects against the soil that it’s cutting through. The light comes back through the device, and that’s how we determine, using a spectrometer built into the hub, what’s in the soil. “We’re excited to bring SoilReader to the market because we think it’s going to revolutionize the way we look at soil and the way we manage soil. We believe if we want to better manage our soil, we have to measure it better.” Saskatchewan grain farmer Terry Aberhart is excited about SoilReader’s potential. Aberhart farms about 15,000 acres on the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border. He grows canola, wheat, malt barley, pulses, hemp and other specialty crops. He also owns and operates Sure Growth Solutions, an agronomy consulting company. In 2018, When Harrison first approached Aberhart at the Farm Forum Event in Calgary, he was excited yet skeptical to try out the technology. “A lot of new technology isn’t always what they say it is,” said Aberhart, who agreed to try it out. “What I really like about the concept of the SoilReader—if we can get to where we want to go—is basically having the ability in the future to do variable rate applications in real time.” One of the main limiting factors of precision agriculture is the sheer number of fields that need to be sampled in a short time. SoilReader could solve this problem. “I think there’s still a bit of work to do, but the potential for SoilReader is game changing,” he said. Aberhart sees SoilReader as a great add-on for existing machinery such as tillage or harrowing equipment. It could also be mounted straight on the drill or fertilizing unit, he said. At press time, Aberhart was scheduled to begin working with the first beta units, which were to be marketed in Western Canada in August 2020. A PLAN TO SCAN Last year, Dutch company AgroCares signed a partnership with Canadian company Concentric Ag Corporation, a major developer of biological and plant nutrient inputs. Using a spectrometer, the SoilReader soil analysis tool measures nine soil constituents in real time. Photos:CourtesyofSoilReader