HAL24K Agri: AI technology to measure soil life and promote biodiversity

Our world is facing many challenges, from climate change to the energy transition. But one crisis that often goes unnoticed is the alarming decline in biodiversity and soil health. HAL24K Agri, led by Bob Klein Lankhorst, is pioneering a unique approach to tackling these issues.

Soil health is at an all-time low. This has a direct impact on our food supply: crops are becoming less nutritious, and food security is declining. Farmers are finding that their soils are less resilient and retain less water. And all of this is threatening biodiversity.

HAL24K Agri is not only addressing these issues but is also offering a glimmer of hope. The company is developing new solutions for monitoring soil life and crops, collectively known as the ‘Soil Health Suite.’ These innovative solutions can potentially revolutionise the way we monitor and manage soil health.

Innovative measurement methods soil life

Bob studied environmental science and then started his own company, ‘Bodemliefde’ (meaning “for love of soil”). Here, he discovered that soil life plays an important role in soil health. However, Bob also realised that existing measurement methods needed to be more comprehensive. For example, you can measure the soil chemically/physically: what elements are present in the soil? And what is the pH value?

Then, there is the biological way of measuring: looking at the life of the soil. In practice, this is still done roughly. For example, some methods measure biomass. This looks at how many bacteria there are in the soil. This measurement is very crude: you get numbers but can’t tell which species are in the soil.

On the other hand, there are DNA methods. These methods give an insight into genetic codes, but it takes time and effort to quantify the codes. So, you have two methods of measurement, but you can’t use them together effectively. Bob saw a gap in the market. So, he started thinking: what would be a good way to look at the soil more thoroughly?

Learning by observing

“You have to observe”, stresses Bob. “You can learn a lot about soil life by looking at it. Soil life is small, so there is quickly a lot of life in a square metre of soil. That’s why I have been researching whether we can use AI to automate microscopes. This would allow us to quickly and accurately take photos or videos of the soil at the right magnification. You can categorise these images and efficiently analyse many soils by observation.”

“All because you want to know what is in your soil, how much there is, and what effect it has. It is a case of what you see is what you get. Soil life tells you a lot about soil health. By getting the right information from your soil, you can improve soil management. This way, we can improve soil function, keep soil healthy, retain more water, increase biodiversity, and provide the right nutrient value for plants.”

Measuring biodiversity

But how do you accurately measure biodiversity? Often, this is done by counting the number of trees or birds. But it takes more than just counting numbers. According to Bob, the exciting thing about soil life is that you can find an incredible amount of information in just one square metre of soil. That is why HAL24K Agri is developing special models for tiny creatures: nematodes, also known as roundworms.

Bob: “They are the most common animal species on Earth. Did you know that about 4 out of 5 animals are nematodes? That’s why nematodes are ideal to measure: they are very localised in the soil and have life cycles of a few weeks, months, or years. They are found in soils all around the world, including highly polluted or poor soils. If you can measure populations even in polluted soils, nematode populations can tell you something about the state of the soil. Healthy soils have more nematodes and other populations than unhealthy soils. So, the type and number of nematodes can tell you a lot about the quality of the soil. In addition, nematodes have been studied frequently and extensively by scientists. They are an excellent ecological indicator of soil conditions.”

Accessible measurements

The measurement process is designed to be user-friendly and accessible. Bob explains: “You take a soil sample and send it to our lab. It’s a quick process, especially when compared to other methods. Our hardware is portable, and the protocols are simple. Depending on your requirements you can even conduct it in a company van. The results are then available on our platform. It’s fascinating when you measure over time. That’s why I always recommend starting with a baseline measurement and then build a series. That way you can easily see the differences in soil health between fields. Later, after several measurements, you can start making predictions. The software is constantly improving and getting more accurate.”

The only way forward is together

Bob has seen a great deal of interest in HAL24K Agri’s innovative measurement system. The system is gaining traction among various stakeholders, including the agricultural sector, the scientific community, and large agri-food companies. Municipalities and governments are also showing interest, as they are keen to label soil quality. “Our technology is accessible and more meaningful than alternatives. All parties that are in any way soil-dependent can benefit from it.”

Bob has significantly benefited from Briskr and the Business Angel Network Nijmegen (BANN) on his way to healthier soils. “Briskr helped us with advice, network support and connections with relevant partners. This enabled us to grow faster”, says Bob. “BANN also provided access to funding and strategic advice from experienced investors, who share capital, expertise, and guidance. Good preparation for the BANN was therefore essential: with a clear pitch, a clear business plan and financial projections, we communicated our vision and ambitions well. The positive feedback and interaction with the investors is helping us to take concrete steps in our strategic growth and development”.

Aiming for a healthy global impact

HAL24K Agri’s long-term goal is clear: “We want to become the global standard for measuring functional biodiversity and ecosystem services so that we can make better decisions for our soils and human well-being on Earth. By understanding what is happening at a microscopic level, we can better align our actions with the natural world around us. By knowing all the flora and fauna and the negative impacts we regularly have on them, we can learn from them. Biodiversity recovery is hopeful: you can see how life forms respond to restoration or when they are given the space to thrive again. If we do it together, we can correct what we have damaged and make it better than ever!”