At Natural Apptitude, we believe in the power of data to drive positive environmental change. That's why we're incredibly proud to announce our integral role in the development of the data portal for the groundbreaking Soil Acoustic Meter (SAM), recently launched by Soil Acoustics Ltd. This innovative device is set to revolutionise how we understand and manage soil health – a cornerstone of life on Earth.
Healthy soils are fundamental for robust crop yields, crucial for preserving and restoring biodiversity, and play an essential role in carbon sequestration. However, the health of our soils across the UK and Europe faces increasing pressure from unsustainable land use, urbanisation, and the impact of climate change.
Traditionally, assessing soil health has been a labour-intensive and often inconsistent process. Methods like 'worm pits' and extensive chemical testing are time-consuming and lack a standardised way to measure vital biological diversity at scale. This is where the Soil Acoustic Meter, supported by the bespoke data portal we have created, come in.
The Soil Acoustic Meter (SAM) offers a non-invasive, quick, and easy way to assess soil health by recording the sounds of invertebrate life within the top soil. This compact, GPS-tagged handheld device captures three-minute sound samples directly from the soil via a probe.
Bringing Data to Life with the Data Portal
Once recorded, plug the unit into a computer via a USB connector and upload the recordings to the dedicated customer portal – developed by the Natural Apptitude team. Leveraging our deep expertise in collecting and analysing large-scale environmental data, we designed this portal to be both powerful and user-friendly.
Within the portal, recordings are rigorously analysed against an extensive, comparative soil sound database which includes machine learning and AI tools. This analysis generates the SAQI (Soil Acoustic Quality Index) results and scorecard, where a higher SAQI score is generally associated with a higher abundance and variety of invertebrates, suggesting healthier, more biologically active soil.
"Working with the Natural Apptitude team has been a very positive experience," shares Gavin Ward, Co-Founder of Soil Acoustics Ltd. "Their communication has been excellent at every stage of the project, and they were incredibly proactive, delivering exactly what we needed. We’re very proud that this collaboration has resulted in a user-friendly platform that will enable people to get cutting-edge insights into their soil’s health."
The Soil Acoustic Meter itself is the culmination of two years of extensive research and development by Soil Acoustics Ltd., part-funded by a Defra Farming Innovation Programme grant, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Warwick. The dedicated team has meticulously collected and analysed data from a wide range of farms and habitats across the UK and Europe, working alongside partners such as Yeo Valley, First Milk, The National Trust, and Rothamsted Research. This foundational research has enabled the creation of their world-leading soil sound database and the development of very effective sampling protocols.
Andrew Baker, Managing Director and Founder of Soil Acoustics Ltd., highlights the broader impact: "This is an exciting time for agriculture and land management. Soil health is fundamental not only for crop yields but also for preserving and restoring biodiversity, and for our collective climate resilience. To make truly informed decisions, land managers need access to new, reliable tools and technologies. We're thrilled that our SAM will help them collect robust scientific data in a cost-effective, repeatable way that directly benefits the health of our soils."
At Natural Apptitude, we are passionate about building digital solutions that make a real difference. The Soil Acoustic Meter, powered by our data portal, offers a time-saving, data-driven solution for land managers and ecologists working on vital initiatives like regenerative agriculture, landscape recovery, conservation, and rewilding projects, integrating seamlessly into wider biodiversity monitoring programmes.
Find out more about Soil Acoustics here and visit the Soil Acoustics shop.