OUR BLOG

This week’s blog comes from Austin Hausmann, Holganix’s Chief Technology Officer and a member of Holganix’s leadership team. Over the past 15 years, Austin has been orchestrating data, systems, and processes in the tech world. At Holganix, Austin is spearheading our initiative to build a sea of data that empowers Holganix farmers with insights about the health and productivity of their soil.

We have always been passionate about enhancing soil health and supporting sustainable plant growth. While we’ve had loads of pictures, anecdotes, and third-party stories showcasing our success, we lacked consistent data that kept pace with the trends of big data in agriculture. We needed a solution that was not only effective but was also a powerful sales tool, allowing us to communicate the benefits of Holganix to our growers.

Enter our approach to fast, low-cost data acquisition tools. These tools are designed to provide real-time insights into soil and plant health, enabling growers to make informed decisions quickly and efficiently.

Check out the infographic for a summary or keep reading for a more in-depth look at the tools that are revolutionizing our approach. 

ChrysaLabs Soil Probe

The ChrysaLabs Soil Probe uses spectrometry to measure soil properties, as well as micro and macro-nutrients, in less than 60 seconds. This tool provides instant results, allowing for frequent and extensive data collection without additional costs for incremental tests. The data collected helps us track core soil health benefits such as bulk density, organic matter, and NPK levels. This tool encourages us to collect more data more often, providing a comprehensive picture of soil health over time.

microBIOMETER Test Kit 

Our microBIOMETER test kit is another invaluable tool. It allows us to quickly assess microbial life in the soil using a small soil sample. The kit enables us to measure the total microbial mass and the fungal-to-bacteria ratio. We often find that growers who haven’t used our products have low, bacteria-dominant soils. This imbalance means their bacteria consume nitrogen close to the root zone, but without fungi to balance the ecosystem, nutrient availability is limited. Holganix Bio 800⁺ addresses this issue effectively, and we often see significant increases in fungi presence after just one application. 

Leaftech Real-Time Tissue Sampler 

Healthy soil leads to healthy plants, and our Leaftech real-time tissue sampler helps us prove this. Traditional tissue sampling is time-consuming, destructive, and costly. With the Leaftech sampler, we can confirm to our growers instantly that the nutrients we unlock in the soil are indeed making their way into the plants, all while leaving the entire plant intact. This non-destructive testing method provides immediate feedback, helping growers see the tangible benefits of our products. 

Comprehensive Reporting 

With the data from these tools, we compile single-page reports for our growers. These reports provide a quick overview of soil properties, nutrient levels, microbial levels, and tissue health. This allows growers to understand, at a fundamental level, what is happening in their fields and the true benefits of using Holganix—all within a few minutes of stepping onto their farms. 

The Power of Big Data in Agriculture 

By leveraging these innovative tools, we are not only improving soil and plant health but also aligning with the trends of big data in agriculture. Our data collection process aggregates, anonymizes, and analyzes information, helping us understand how our growers are using our products and thriving. We recently surpassed 10,000 unique data points and now have over 200,000 acres loaded into our data management platform. While we love the value we're providing to our growers (and they do too), we are equally excited about the potential insights still sitting under the tip of the iceberg. 

Our fast, low-cost data acquisition tools are transforming the way we approach soil health. They provide real-time, actionable insights that empower growers to enhance their land and crops effectively. At Holganix, we are committed to supporting sustainable agriculture through innovation, and these tools are a testament to that commitment. 

How Can You Participate?  

The Holganix agronomic teams are hitting the road this summer for our Soil Health Tour. We’ll be providing current Holganix users and their neighbors with free soil health testing. We are visiting farms in June and July to provide early benchmark data and then we’ll be back out in late summer and early fall, providing additional data to show farmers their soil health momentum while using Holganix Bio 800⁺.  

We’ll provide detailed information on soil properties, micro and macro-nutrients, bulk density, organic matter, NPK levels, total microbial mass, and fungi-to-bacteria ratios. 

Be sure to sign up for a Soil Health Tour stop near you! Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your soil's health and productivity!