We’re pleased to announce that Soil Acoustics Ltd. has been granted a UK patent (GB 2 623 382) for our pioneering Soil Acoustic Meter (SAM), with EU and global patents pending. This innovative technology represents a major step forward in non-invasive soil health monitoring.
Traditional soil assessments can be time-consuming and labour-intensive, involving digging worm pits and chemical testing, with no standardised method for measuring biological diversity at scale. Our SAM device changes that. It provides a rapid, cost-effective and non-invasive way to assess soil health. The handheld device records GPS-tagged sound samples for three minutes, which are then analysed against our extensive soil sound database to generate a Soil Acoustics Quality Index (SAQI) score.
This patent follows two years of extensive research and development, part-funded by a DEFRA Farming Innovation Programme grant, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Warwick. The result is a transformative tool that delivers reliable, repeatable insights without disturbing the soil.
Designed for Land Managers, Backed by Research
We’ve collected and analysed data from a diverse range of farms and habitats across the UK and Europe, working alongside partners such as Yeo Valley, First Milk, Wildfarmed, The National Trust, Environment Bank, The Devonshire Group and Rothamsted Research. Our technology is even being used in vineyards, including for Ruinart in France, to monitor biodiversity.
Through this research, we’ve built a comparative database and developed an effective sampling strategy. We’re also using AI to explore the relationship between soil sound and other indicators of soil health. This allows land managers to make data-driven decisions about soil treatments, fertilisation, cover cropping and regenerative farming practices.
Why Soil Health Matters More Than Ever
Andrew Baker, Managing Director and Founder, shares why this breakthrough is so important:
“This is an exciting time for agriculture. Soil health is fundamental not only for crop yields, but also for preserving and restoring biodiversity. To make informed decisions, land managers need access to new tools and technologies. We’re thrilled to see SAM helping people collect robust scientific data in a cost-effective, repeatable way that directly benefits soil health.”
Soil health is becoming a global priority. The EU Soil Observatory highlights its crucial role in food production, climate regulation, water purification and biodiversity. Yet, soils are being degraded by unsustainable land use, population pressures and extreme weather. The European Commission’s ‘Caring for soil is caring for life’ initiative aims for 75% of EU soils to be healthy by 2030.
With soil health now a core focus of the UK’s Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme and the soil testing market projected to reach $30 billion USD by 2030, the demand for reliable, scalable solutions is growing rapidly. Soil Acoustics Ltd. is at the forefront of this movement, offering an innovative, world-first ecoacoustics method for accurate and cost-effective soil health assessments.
Contact Us
We’re passionate about transforming soil health monitoring. If you’d like to learn more about SAM and how it can support your land management practices, get in touch with us via info@soilacoustics.com or call +44 (0)1629 593 958.
