Soil Scout launches first wireless sub-soil oxygen sensor
Soil Scout recently launched the Happi100 oxygen sensor. Commercially available for the first time anywhere, this wireless, real-time monitoring solution allows turf professionals and growers to see the true impact of soil oxygen levels on plant root health.
“Healthy plant roots are not achievable without the presence of sufficient oxygen,” said Jalmari Talola, CEO of Soil Scout. “They can tolerate drought, they can cope in nutrient-poor soils, but oxygen uptake by roots is vital for plant respiration. Until now, we had no way to see if this process was under attack. Happi100 ends this today.”
Happi100 reads soil oxygen, moisture and temperature from the same measurement point and integrates with Soil Scout’s existing platform for a complete suite of underground trend data. This comprehensive approach allows agriculture and sports turf management professionals to make more prescriptive interventions.
“When soil oxygen levels dip below 10 percent for just four hours, plant root hair death occurs,” said Johannes Tiusanen, head of agronomy for Soil Scout. “Happi100 gives early warning of this happening, making it easier to prepare for, monitor and mitigate impact from events like adverse weather and over irrigation.”
As part of Soil Scout’s larger vision to make previously unforeseen data available to everyone who works with soil, the company plans to continue developing innovative solutions that help professionals better understand and manage the soil beneath their feet.
“Initial readings have shown that parts of my green quickly rebound to optimal oxygen levels within hours of heavy rain, whereas other parts can take up to a week to recover,” said Erwan LeCocq, head groundskeeper at Winston Golf. “I can now be more prescriptive in my aeration approach, significantly cutting down on the work needed to keep all my surfaces optimal.”
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