21 soil profile, while moisture measurements help explain how water is moving through the root zone. ORP provides insight into oxygen availability and potential denitrification risk, salinity tracks salt accumulation, and temperature helps explain biological activity affecting nutrient cycling. By combining these measurements, agronomists can better understand why nutrient conditions are changing rather than simply observing that they have changed. The company’s sensing technology has also undergone independent evaluation. During the 20242025 lettuce season, researchers at the University of Arizona’s Yuma Agricultural Center compared sensor-generated nitrate readings with laboratory soil analyses in both organic and conventional iceberg lettuce production systems. According to UnderGround Weather, sensor readings tracked the same trends observed in laboratory testing, with differences typically within three to four parts per million. The study monitored nitrate movement throughout the season across multiple soil depths, capturing responses to fertilizer applications and irrigation events. While the platform is designed to support management decisions, Glass emphasized that Reporter does not generate fertilizer prescriptions. “UnderGround Weather Reporter does not issue prescriptions. It will not tell a grower to apply twentyfive pounds,” Glass explained. “It reports what the underground environment is doing and what deserves attention, and the agronomist or grower makes the decision.” As adoption increases, the company said that several unexpected discoveries have emerged. One involves nitrate concentrations deeper in the profile than many growers typically monitor through conventional soil sampling. Another concerns ORP measurements, where field observations are challenging long-standing assumptions derived from wetland and laboratory research. Continuous monitoring has also revealed situations where healthy-looking crops masked significant underground nutrient dynamics that were invisible from the soil surface. The technology is currently deployed through more than 900 nutrient management subscriptions and is available across the US and Canada, with installations operating in nine countries. UnderGround Weather primarily works through ag retailers, cooperatives, and independent crop advisers rather than selling directly to growers. The Reporter platform can integrate with other farm management and agronomic software, allowing root-zone data to be viewed alongside weather, crop, and field management information. Looking ahead, the company expects continuous underground sensing to refine agronomic thresholds, provide in-season verification of biological and nutrient products, and support measurement-based sustainability reporting. As more field data is collected, UnderGround Weather believes the industry’s understanding of root zone dynamics will continue to evolve. For more information, visit www.UnderGroundWeather.ai. | pag PHOTO: Miha Creative – stock.adobe.com
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