WED AM News: UW-Madison scientists testing new soil nutrient sensor this summer; Corn, soybean quality up despite ongoing wet conditions

July 10, 2024

— Scientists at UW-Madison this summer are testing a device that senses soil nutrients, which could help farmers make better decisions when fertilizing.

The sensor technology created by engineers at the university can be used for real-time monitoring of nitrates in soil, which are essential for growing crops. But excess nitrate can move from soil into groundwater, where it can pose a threat to human health and the environment.

Joseph Andrews, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering who led the research, says these sensors can help farmers “make more precise decisions” on how much fertilizer they need by showing them the nutrient makeup of their own soil. They can help monitor nitrate leaching and guide efforts for reducing that process.

“If they can buy less fertilizer, the cost savings could be quite significant at large-acreage farms,” Andrews said in a statement.

Because existing methods for nitrate monitoring are “laborious, expensive” and can’t offer real-time data, Andrew’s team aimed to create a less expensive option drawing on his expertise in printed electronics.

They used an inkjet printing process to create “potentiometric” sensors, which are thin electrochemical sensors usually used to measure nitrate in liquid. That limitation made it a challenge to adapt them to use in soil, Andrews said. To overcome that hurdle, researchers added a layer of polyvinylidene fluoride, a porous membrane that can allow the passage of nitrate while blocking soil particles.

It also attracts and absorbs water, the release shows. Andrews says that means any water with nitrate in it gets “preferentially soaked into” the sensor.

“This is really important because soil also acts like a sponge, and you’re going to have a losing battle for getting moisture to come to your sensor unless you can match the water absorption potential of soil,” Andrews says.

By mounting the thin sensors onto a kind of sticker that also contains moisture and temperature sensors, the researchers can attach those stickers to a rod that’s then buried in the soil, enabling measurements at multiple depths.

The sensors have been shown to provide accurate results in two different soil types common to Wisconsin: sandy soil; and silt loam soil. Researchers this summer are deploying 30 sensing rods at UW-Madison’s Hancock Agricultural Research Station and Arlington Agricultural Research Station for further testing.

“By measuring the nitrate, moisture and temperature at different depths, we can now quantify the process of nitrate leaching and capture how nitrate is moving through the soil, which hasn’t been possible before,” Andrews said.

The research team published a study in March detailing the sensor technology in the journal Advanced Material Technologies. It’s being patented through the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

See the release.

— Corn and soybean crop quality in Wisconsin has improved slightly despite ongoing wet conditions limiting fieldwork.

That’s according to the latest USDA crop progress report, which shows this season’s corn emergence was “nearly complete” at the end of last week. Corn condition was rated 62% “good to excellent,” marking a 1% improvement from the previous week.

Meanwhile, soybean blooming was 22% percent complete, which is two days ahead of last year but two days behind the five-year average. USDA reports soybean condition was 60% good to excellent, up 3 percentage points from the prior week.

Wisconsin had just three days suitable for fieldwork last week, as more rainfall made it harder for farmers to do their work, especially later in the week.

See the release.

— The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee has unanimously approved releasing $20 million to WEDC for grants of up to $2 million to cities, villages, towns or counties to aid with redevelopment of buildings on two-year campuses.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. indicated that policies could be drafted and presented to its Awards Administration Committee and Board of Directors as soon as the first quarter of 2024-25.

Ahead of the vote, Rep. Deb Andraca, D-Whitefish Bay, said she hoped the committee would do more to ensure existing campuses are carefully funded, calling them an economic driver for Wisconsin. She also hoped for an end to GOP tactics such as holding up final sign-off on raises for UW employees, as happened last year while Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, was in a standoff with system leaders over DEI positions.

“I think the health of the overall system is critically important, as well, to the campuses that are open,” Andraca said.

See more at WisPolitics.

Top headlines from the Health Care Report…

— JFC has approved WEDC’s request for $7.5 million in general purpose revenue to fund a grant to BioForward Inc. for the state’s designation as a regional technology and innovation hub.

And the state Department of Health Services is seeking to assess and improve a program that helps older adults and those with disabilities live independently.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

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— Milwaukee-based law firm Michael Best has merged with a California venture law practice called O&A, P.C., expanding its footprint into the West Coast region.

The firm yesterday announced the merger with O&A, P.C., which was founded in 2015 with a focus on venture capital law.

The California business has now transitioned its practice and team to Michael Best, and its founder Dan Offner will head up Michael Best’s new office in Los Angeles. Offner will also lead the venture practice Venture Best in California, the release shows.

Galen Mason, partner and co-chair of Venture Best, says Offner and his team “bring deep experience in the areas of gaming, AI, and technology,” as well as the established venture capital communities around Los Angeles and Silicon Valley.

And Michael Best Managing Partner David Krutz says gaining a foothold in California “was critical to allow us to better serve our clients, especially in the areas of employment, technology, intellectual property, and litigation” as well as VC activity.

“We can offer them continuity of service at the rates and value they expect,” Krutz said in the release.

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