On December 5, the Soil Health Institute (SHI) introduced the Slakes app, an innovative tool designed to enable people around the world to assess soil health using their smartphones. This revolutionary app marks a significant step forward in soil health management, offering users a simple yet effective way to measure aggregate stability—key to soil sustainability and productivity.
Soils with greater aggregate stability are more resistant to erosion and have improved water capture and storage capabilities. The Slakes app uses smartphone technology to capture images of soil aggregates before and after exposure to water, providing users with valuable information about soil aggregation and health.
Through a partnership with the University of Sydney and generous support from organizations such as the Wells Fargo Foundation and the Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation, the Soil Health Institute has made the Slakes app available to everyone from farmers and educators to policymakers and industry stakeholders.
The Slakes app gives users the ability to assess soil health in real time, allowing them to make informed decisions and implement sustainable land management practices. By incorporating cumulative stability measurements into soil health assessments, people can monitor the impact of management practices on soil quality and make data-driven choices to improve agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability.
The launch of the Slakes app represents a major milestone in managing soil health, democratizing access to soil assessment tools, and promoting global collaboration on sustainable agriculture. As we celebrate World Soil Day, let’s embrace the transformative potential of technology to create healthy soils for future generations.
