Robotic Technology Trial Aims to Enhance Farm Profitability Through Soil Health Assessment

Scientists are hopeful that robots could enable farmers to evaluate soil health more swiftly, as a technological trial is currently underway in Cornwall. A device featuring a gamma ray detector, developed by a Cornish company, is being utilized to determine soil quality. Malcolm Barrett, a tenant farmer from St Tudy near Bodmin, is collaborating with researchers from the University of Plymouth. These scientists are employing a robot equipped with a gamma ray detector to map the health of the soil across his fields. Mr. Barrett expressed his anticipation that this technology, which he considers both superior and faster than conventional analysis, could lead to increased profitability for farms. Jake Shaw-Sutton, co-director of the robotics company Robotriks, based in Par, stated: “Our newest trial is looking at and focusing on what’s going on with the soil, because it’s often not considered fully and that affects everything around it.” He further indicated that robot dogs might also be deployed to inspect challenging areas such as hills and hedgerows. Regarding the robot dog, Mr. Shaw-Sutton commented: “He’s got a top speed of 5m [16ft] a second – which is a tad faster than I am – and he weighs about 15kg [33lb].” He added: “The key advantage is because of those legs he’s able to climb up really difficult terrain and really difficult surfaces.” The gamma detector, which costs £25,000, measures the naturally occurring levels of radiation within the soil. Mr. Barrett described his current process, saying: “Usually I’d use a trowel to dig out soil from five areas in a field.” He continued: “Then I’d have to send this to a laboratory and wait for the results.” Will Blake, from the University of Plymouth, explained: “The ultimate goal is to provide a map of soil properties that are relevant to the farmer and his decision-making.” He elaborated on the drawbacks of traditional methods: “The problem that you have with traditional conventional soil assessments is that they’re very time-consuming and expensive. “Normally, a farmer can only afford to have a few samples taken from any one field, then you have to wait some days or weeks for the data to come through.””