Measuring Soil Health Alongside TSIP
Who Is TSIP?
Advised by Former Vice President Al Gore, The Soil Inventory Project is a science-led nonprofit collective founded to protect the public good of the environment and resolve two main issues:
- // The need for a singular soil inventory tracking.
- // Farmers & land managers need critical support in order to farm sustainably.
Their belief in simply presented data provides the opportunity for global accessibility to a data pool sourced by public efforts in itself.
The Challenge At Hand
Create a streamlined method for users to measure the carbon levels of their soil easier.
Agriculturists and farmers have long relied on time-consuming testing methods to understand the soil carbon data levels across their plots, regions, or interest areas. After taking samples, sending them off, and receiving the results, none of the data is publicly archived going forward. The value of that information diminishes almost immediately.
Our challenge was to create a digital platform that could assist users in executing their own soil health analysis. From there, we wanted to publish the findings in a publicly accessible database to create a unified source of information regarding soil carbon data.
The Solution
An intuitive mobile application that assists in the testing of soil carbon levels.
In order to allow on-the-go accessibility from any device, we developed a cross-platform mobile application that can easily be downloaded from your favorite app store. Once logged in, the interface provides a clear and concise walkthrough of the required steps to measure the carbon stock levels within your land.
Easily Request Your Soil Sample Testing Kit
Harnessing the full functionality of Mapbox and it’s sensor-generated mapping interface, you are able to outline the plot of land that you wish to take the carbon inventory of. Based on the total acreage of the plot, TSIP will calculate via their proprietary algorithm, the total amount of samples needed to produce accurate results. This kit is then assembled and shipped to your front door, ready for measurement!
Mark Your Plot. Receive Designated Drill Points.
Not only does the application designate how many drill points are needed for proper measurement, but it also dictates the actual locations in which you should test from. Simply navigate your plot of land with your mobile device and using the application will direct you to the proper drill points!
Receive Your Plot’s Soil Carbon Levels
Your soil data and analysis summary will be available soon after sending the samples in for evaluation. Based on your land’s biogeophysical conditions and management type, TSIP will then plot your soil carbon across your property within the mobile application.
Compare Them With Regional Benchmarks & Baselines
As the community continues to grow and more users utilize TSIP’s platform, regional baselines and predictions of soil carbon levels will be able to be released on a regular basis. This provides the opportunity for farmers and agriculturists to visualize their position in terms of soil health in their surrounding community.
The Results
With their new application launched on app stores, farmers & agriculturists across the nation now have greater access to the tools necessary to measure their land’s health. They are also able to compare against regional benchmarks for different soil types, land use, etc. with the data modeled by TSIP.
These digital tools & data visualizations allow landowners to make more informed decisions regarding agricultural growth, development opportunities, etc. With continued use, the consistent addition of information to the centralized database provides publicly accessible data to the public as well.
