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<p><strong>Healthy soil that supports good farming. That is the goal of Soil Valley, a collaboration between Royal Eijkelkamp—a soil and water specialist based in Giesbeek—the Amsterdam-based data intelligence scale-up HAL24K Agri, and companies, research institutions, and government agencies from the water-rich De Liemers region. What makes their approach unique is that they use artificial intelligence to measure and improve soil quality.</strong></p><p><img src="https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/Betere_en_gezondere_bodem_dankzij_AI_5df6698f93.jpg?token=Fvf8cOI8DFSauFaLSvegHm_515zjTYe7ZHqxot_dfQo&amp;expires=1777452129" alt="Betere en gezondere bodem dankzij AI.jpg" srcset="https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/thumbnail_Betere_en_gezondere_bodem_dankzij_AI_5df6698f93.jpg?token=kNCsD5bjgWcswr-UNGLLNLrvqpbf6qBJJN2U7O_5Vlg&amp;expires=1777452129 234w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/small_Betere_en_gezondere_bodem_dankzij_AI_5df6698f93.jpg?token=tj3ZRfNPe92tM-6f0q7fya789jeaYCS-7GEfsyhhwuo&amp;expires=1777452129 500w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/medium_Betere_en_gezondere_bodem_dankzij_AI_5df6698f93.jpg?token=x90tJH8twoXXC21cD7TMKJ26WiUcFoovIAokoURPJbQ&amp;expires=1777452129 750w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/large_Betere_en_gezondere_bodem_dankzij_AI_5df6698f93.jpg?token=niqQfO1b-76Jp9CLFIEc0pbDKKGnaaarMb3Tnl9BAm4&amp;expires=1777452129 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="6000" height="4000"></p><p>First, a brief introduction: HAL24K Agri is Royal Eijkelkamp’s data partner and develops AI models, explains Ruud Kaijtjily, who works at HAL24K Agri and serves on the board of Soil Valley. Thijs Teerlink, technical program manager at Royal Eijkelkamp, a partner in Soil Valley: “Royal Eijkelkamp has been a specialist in water and soil research for 110 years. We’re using more and more data to devise solutions. In doing so, we’re collaborating with HAL24K Agri.”</p><h2>A Better Picture</h2><p>HAL24K Agri is working on bringing various AI measurement models to market. The company is currently developing a model that measures soil health. “Using smart cameras and AI models, we quickly get a detailed picture of soil life. This method reduces the time to get measurement results by 48 to 72 hours. Whereas soil samples used to have to be sent off for analysis, you now get results immediately,” explains Kaijtjily. “The biggest advantage over previous methods lies primarily in the speed of measurement and automation.”</p><p>An AI soil measurement model like this is of interest to farmers. The healthier the soil, the healthier the food production. Teerlink: “If a farmer wants to optimize his soil management, he needs to know the current state of the soil. It starts with establishing the baseline and then monitoring it. AI helps map the soil and identify opportunities for improvement to achieve healthier soil. Take, for example, the presence of microorganisms, such as nematodes. These are very tiny worms that you can’t see with the naked eye. They are the linchpin of soil life—the intermediate links that ensure the food cycle functions properly.”</p><h2>Releasing Bees</h2><p>Another AI model from HAL24K Agri helps seed growers choose the optimal time to release bees to pollinate seed crops. “Timing is crucial for pollination,” says Kaijtjily. “Drones fly over the fields and take photos. These photos show the growth stage the flowers are in. To teach this system to determine when the bees can be released, we ‘fed’ it thousands of photos of the seven different growth stages. The computer now recognizes each growth stage and, consequently, the ideal stage to put the bees to work. We’re currently investigating the impact of this model; on test plots, it’s already yielding 10 to 12 percent more seeds.” Teerlink: “Bees are sometimes hired, so if you can estimate the perfect moment, that reduces costs for a seed grower. That grower can also operate more sustainably, since they’ll need fewer seed plants.” Kaijtjily: “We’ll soon be able to apply this technique to food crops as well.”</p><h2>Fungal Disease</h2><p>HAL24K Agri has also begun developing an AI model capable of detecting the fungal disease botrytis in tulip and chrysanthemum bulbs. “You’d think that the more humid it is over a longer period, the greater the risk of botrytis, but it’s not that simple. That’s why we need about three years to conduct thorough research,” explains Kaijtjily. This AI model is also trained using thousands of images of bulb fields, captured from the air by drones. “Using these images, we built algorithms that detect botrytis. This solution helps bulb farmers increase their yields because our model allows them to identify the fungal infection more quickly and thus remove the diseased bulbs sooner. And that, in turn, is better for the soil.”</p><h2>Purchase a License</h2><p>Companies, farmers, or other organizations can use the AI models via HAL24K Agri’s online platform, a cloud-based solution. Customers gain access to applications and data through a license.</p><p>For soil knowledge and analysis, Soil Valley is the place to go. In addition, Soil Valley is working with educational institutions to develop training programs for civil servants, among others. “This training covers soil in the broadest sense of the word. Some people don’t know the difference between loess and clay, and we want to raise awareness about the importance of healthy soil. Municipalities are now required to incorporate water and soil management principles when planning public spaces. This means that, for example, in a new construction project, they must consider how to divert water without causing problems for the site, water, and soil. “That’s why a lot is changing for public officials,” says Kaijtjily. “We’re here to help with that.”</p><h2>Get in touch</h2><p>Teerlink and Kaijtjily warmly invite entrepreneurs—from large companies to startups—to get in touch with Soil Valley. “Any innovative organization working in the field of soil in the eastern Netherlands is more than welcome. If you want to go far, it’s better to run as a group than to dash on your own,” says Kaijtjily. Teerlink: “Think carefully about your problem and keep analyzing until you get to the root cause. Don’t just treat the symptoms; if you really want to tackle a problem, you have to change the foundation. So it starts with the soil.”</p><blockquote><p>The greatest benefit of AI lies in speed and automation</p></blockquote><p>Would you like to get started with AI? Contact Chris Willemsen or Marianne Pouwer at Oost NL. </p>

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<p>Healthy soil that supports good farming. That is the goal of Soil Valley, a collaboration between Royal Eijkelkamp—a soil and water specialist based in Giesbeek—the Amsterdam-based data intelligence scale-up HAL24K Agri, and companies, research institutions, and government agencies from the water-rich De Liemers region. What makes their approach unique is that they use artificial intelligence to measure and improve soil quality.</p>