An innovative technique which ‘listens’ to soil health is to be commercially released as a hand-held device this summer, following the launch of a funding campaign.
Ecoacoustics records the sounds of invertebrates in topsoil to help assess the abundance and diversity of biological activity. Recordings are then analysed using automated algorithms to produce a report with a Soil Acoustic Quality Index (SAQI) score.
The new hand-held device – the Soil Acoustic Meter (SAM) – will allow farmers to collect their own data and create a tailored monitoring protocol. To enable this to happen, Baker Consultants – the firm behind the technology – has launched a Kickstarter to get the Soil Acoustic Meter to market in Summer 2025.
According to the firm, each sample features a three-minute recording which automatically tags the location using an in-built GPS chip. The method can be used to replace worm pits and is a cost-effective and scientifically robust way of monitoring the biological health of soils.
On-farm trials
During the past two years, UK farm trials run by Baker Consultants have collected data from a range of soil and management types with partners including Wildfarmed, The National Trust, and Yeo Valley Farms. The technique is already being used by Ruinart vineyards in France and other parts of the LVMH Group, as part of a suite of biodiversity monitoring tools.
Wildfarmed’s Rob Bray says they see the difference when farmers transition to regenerative farming, with more birds, bugs and bees in fields through the introduction of pollinating flowers among arable crops.
“Wildfarmed grows food in a nature-friendly way that’s better for you and the planet. We can’t know what ‘nature friendly’ means unless we can measure it. It’s been fascinating to work with Baker Consultants to understand better what is happening below ground and start to quantify the benefits of our approach,” he explains.
Purchasing the device
Anyone who signs-up for a device through the Kickstarter programme will be eligible for unlimited data uploads and reporting for the next 12 months. There’s also a multi-buy discount option for farm advisers and agronomists.
