In the agriculture sector, over-fertilization of fields is becoming a worldwide problem that is very costly in two different ways: First, if too much fertilizer is used, it is money spent that did not have to be spent. Second, and even more concerning is the cost of the resulting pollution.
A better way to measure fertilizer levels in crop soil would help minimize both of these costs, and that’s what Israeli startup Data Of The Soil (DOTS) has in mind with a new system that leverages electro-optical sensors for direct and continuous measurement of fertilizer concentration in agricultural soils. The sensor detects and monitors the soil fertilization level, enables accurate timing of fertilization cycles, and prevents fertilizer overuse.
It does this through algorithmically driven spectral analysis, which enables continuous and real-time measurement of nitrate levels in the soil. The system provides a highly detailed, dynamic picture of nitrate concentrations in the root zone, the company said. The sensor’s effectiveness has been showcased in Israeli tomato greenhouses, where it has led to fertilizer savings of 30% during the growing season, without any damage to the resulting crop.
Now, DOTS is pursuing and signing partnership agreements with large European and American companies that are interested in harnessing the technology to improve fertilizer application, boost savings and mitigate agriculture's damaging effect on water sources and public health.
Rafi Levi, co-founder and CEO of DOTS, recently answered some questions posed by Fierce Electronics about the status of those pursuits and when we might see DOTS innovation reach the broader market.
Fierce Electronics: Any update on the partnerships your company has been pursuing? Can you say who you are working with?
Rafi Levi: Regarding partnership agreements for our system, we have received positive interest from various tech players, including farm management software and hardware providers. These industry leaders recognize the unique capabilities and potential of our real-time nitrate monitoring solution. We are actively engaged in several demo projects with different players, which further demonstrates the value and interest in our technology.
Establishing strategic partnerships is a key priority for us as we believe it is an effective way to quickly connect with the market and enhance our offering. We welcome other interested parties to reach out to us and explore potential collaboration opportunities.
While we are currently unable to disclose specific partnership agreements, we are confident that collaborating with these industry leaders will enable us to leverage their expertise and networks.
FE: In general are you looking to partner with fertilizer companies or other kinds of agricultural companies as well?
RL: In general, we are open to partnering with various types of agricultural companies, including fertilizer companies. For example, we recently had productive meetings with fertilizer distributors and fertilizer consulting companies in California. Both parties expressed a high level of interest in working with us and were supportive of our nitrate real-time monitoring system. Importantly, they reassured us that there is no conflict of interest between our solution and their commercial interests.
FE: Is your technology available yet as a product, or are you looking toward partnerships to help you productize the technology?
RL: Our technology has been validated through field-level demonstrations and we are currently in the process of productizing the technology. This involves activities aimed at ensuring mass production readiness, which we anticipate will be achieved within the next 12 months. While the mass production version is being finalized, we are providing a technological demonstrator level to various users.
FE: Are there any other methods of monitoring or controlling fertilizer use to curb waste and pollution? If so, what are the shortcomings of these other methods?
RL: There are various other methods to measure nitrates in the soil, but all are “measuring methods” and not “monitoring methods”, as they do not offer real-time, continuous data. These methods are not adequate to support dynamic, modulating fertigation procedures.
Methods offering continuous data do not measure soil nitrate and rely on estimations derived from EC (electric conductivity), which are vague estimations when it comes to exact nitrate levels in the soil.