Farm406

11 farm406 innovative tools & equipment All data has been gathered from a variety of sources and has not been independently verified, therefore it is provided for informational purposes only and is not guaranteed. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have developed a new nitrate sensor that will provide real-time and continuous measurement in soil to beer detect water pollution and measure conditions for higher agricultural productivity. Natural nitrate levels in groundwater are generally very low. However, excess application of fertilizers in agriculture oen result in leaching of nitrate from the soil to water resources. Increased level of nitrate in water is one of the main reasons for disqualification of drinking water, causing a worldwide environmental problem. e optical nitrate sensor is based on absorption spectroscopy. It enables continuous, real-time, measurement of nitrate concentrations in the range of tens to hundreds of parts per million (ppm), which is the range relevant to growing crops. Its ability to continuously monitor soil nitrate levels produces a highly detailed portrayal of the rapidly changing concentrations of nitrate in the soil solution. e sensor is also highly resistant to harsh chemical and physical soil conditions. e technology was developed by Prof. Ofer Dahan of the BGU Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Prof. Shlomi Arnon of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Elad Yeshno, Ph.D. student at the Zuckerberg Institute. "Current methods for measuring soil nitrate are cumbersome, labor-intensive, and do not provide real-time indication on the actual concentration of nutrients in the soil," says Prof. Ofer Dahan. "Our invention, which enables real-time monitoring of soil nitrate levels, can supply farmers with valuable data on the amount nutrient availability for the crops," adds Prof. Arnon. "Our solution enables optimization of fertilizers application thus preventing over-fertilization, as well as economizes irrigation and reduces water resources pollution." Shirley Sheffer Hoffman, Senior VP Business Development, Water, Energy and Agriculture at BGN Technologies, says, "is is another example of the cuing- edge multidisciplinary research preformed at e Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research of BGU focused • Researchers Develop New Realtime Soil Nitrate Sensor on various water, energy, food and ecological problems under different environmental condition, in collaboration with researchers at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the University. Hoffman adds, "is promising project received funding from the Israel Innovation Authority, and now BGN Technologies is seeking an industry partner for its further development and commercialization."

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