We strive to benefit farmers with our soil testing sensor by using it to identify bioavailable phosphate levels and therefore maximize fertilizer efficiency. Last year, we consulted with several farmers local to Wisconsin to learn about soil testing measures that they already employ. Eric Rose, the head farmer at River Valley Ranch in Burlington, WI, and Janet Gamble from Turtle Garden Farms, educated our team about the soil testing measures UW-Madison offers for many different types of nutrients, ions, and organic materials. We hope that our sensor can be used alongside standard lab testing to perform a preliminary test of soil for phosphate. When soil does not contain proper nutrients, crops are unable to grow at maximum efficiency. We hope that our sensor will assist farmers in their essential task of growing produce for us and animals to consume.
Because our project focuses on the nutrients that farmers need to grow the most bountiful and high-quality crops, we decided to interview several Wisconsin farmers to hear their opinions on soil testing. The first person who we sought out was Janet Gamble, the farm manager at Turtle Creek Gardens, the source of a majority of the produce for QuintaMKE. After investigating her current protocols for soil testing, we acquired a baseline for the practicality and efficacy of our lab. Gamble explained that their current protocol involves “A step-on soil probe [that] makes cores that we mix all together for one soil sample from each Zone sampling. It’s a big box of soil we take out to Madison for them to test.” After sampling, the UW-Madison soil lab does a full analysis of the acidity of the soil, and the potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen contents. They do, however, perform all of their own water saturation testing. Furthermore, she explained that cost and accuracy would be the most important factors, citing that all their fertilizer ordering is done using information important for regenerative planting. She concluded the interview by encouraging studies such as these as soil is an overlooked topic with major implications on everyday life.
The next farmer who we reached out to was Steven Voight, a generational dairy farmer who now owns Voight Farms in Shiocton, WI. Every year, Steven utilizes AgSource soil testing lab to test his feed crop fields for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK). Steven emphasized how crucial accuracy is with soil testing since for him and many other dairy farmers, nutrient levels affect everything from crop health to fertilizer runoff amounts. Steven also emphasized the importance of creating detailed and understandable instructions. He encouraged us to make a test procedure that is reliable and straightforward. Ryan Schmidt, another dairy farmer, from Schmidt Dairy Farm in Shiocton, WI, similarly advised that we should include full instructions for sample preparation.
Eric Rose was the next farmer we sought out to advise how to maintain familiar aspects of soil testing that have already been established within farming communities. He is the head farmer at River Valley Ranch, a small organic farm in Burlington, WI, that produces mushrooms and vegetables to sell both wholesale and at local farmer’s markets. Eric gave a detailed explanation about the process of dividing up his fields into different testing areas which he then collects various soil samples from. Eric also encouraged us to plan which materials and amounts of them could be used for the various sample numbers and sizes that farmers may decide to test.