From the Grove: The Soil Talker Machine
As pioneers in organic citrus agriculture, it’s our mission to be ahead of the curve when it comes to new farming technology. It’s part of our company culture to share our knowledge with other organic farmers as we trial, research and discover methods for producing the most nutrient dense crop in harmony with nature. The newest tech we’re bringing into our grove is a tool called the Soil Talker Machine.
As the name would suggest, the Soil Talker Machine, known as the ST-1, provides us with further insight into soil composition and the activity of the microbial life that inhabits it. It was developed by well-known scientist Dr. Rick Haney who famously created the USDA’s Haney Soil Test and his partner Jason R. Snavely, Certified Wildlife Biologist. The ST-1 machine measures carbon dioxide and soil respiration levels. Carbon dioxide tells us more about the microbes in the soil, as it is the primary by-product of their respiration or activity. Increasing carbon dioxide outputs are a positive sign of healthy soil and a happily feeding, strong microbial community.
So how does this machine work? First, we insert a tube about 4-5 inches in diameter into the soil. It’s enclosed at the top but leaves a place for inserting a small orange tube connected to the Soil Talker Machine. The carbon dioxide, or CO2, will collect in the large tube and flow through the smaller orange tube. The orange tube connects directly to the Soil Talker Machine which reads the CO2 levels. 
These CO2 readings are vital for our understanding of how different organic treatments interact with the soil and contribute to overall grove health. With this tool we can make valuable comparisons between untouched areas of our grove and those treated with organic compost, organic fertilizers, additional irrigation and more. We can compare the CO2 levels in a conventional grove versus an organic grove. We can also compare different kinds of organic fertilizer or compost applications to decide which brands produce the most beneficial microbial activity in the soil, as measured by CO2.
In organic citrus agriculture, our goal is always to produce the most nutrient dense crop to be used in our organic juices for our consumers. With a tool like the Soil Talker Machine, we can make further comparisons in the fruit produced from groves reporting the highest levels of microbial activity and CO2 and then assess the harvested fruit and the peel for Vitamin C levels, calcium and other antioxidants and nutrients.
We believe higher levels of soil microbial activity as evidenced by CO2 production in the soil will ultimately make a positive impact to health, yield, and nutrient density in our crop. If we’re successful in proving out this theory, this will allow for more precise recommendations surrounding organic products and farming methods utilized across our citrus industry. We’re still in the early stages of research, but our hope is that over the next few growing seasons we can take our findings further by providing insight to the larger agricultural industry nationwide outside of citrus farming.
