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Center for Soil Technologies (SoilTech)

Center Overview

Soil is a foundation of life on Earth and is the medium on which we have developed our human environment. Information about the surface-to-depth profiles of soil properties such as mineral and organic composition, water content, mechanical stability, biogeochemical processes, contamination, and temperature are key in a number of domains of national strategic importance. These observations are needed not only to gain critical insights into the adverse effects of climate change, but also to enable more sustainable operational applications.

SoilTech responds to this need by supporting a range of critical industries such as agriculture, energy, environment, climate adaptation, utilities, defense, communications, and construction by conducting research to enable timely state-of-the-art measurements and information about soil dynamics on multiple spatial and temporal scales. Though the aforementioned industries have varied research priorities, each has a shared interest in understanding the soil on which their business is built. Furthermore, these industries must meet sustainability goals and rapidly adapt to climate change impacts. The Center, with participating sites throughout the United States, is poised to support these multi-billion-dollar industries by serving as a crucial hub to hold collaborative meetings, to discuss pressing research needs, and to share information and transfer technology from the collaborative research conducted by SoilTech.

SoilTech aims to develop next-generation in-situ and remote sensors, networks, observation systems, and associated analysis methods for managed and unmanaged soils. These efforts will help industry partners obtain timely information about the surface-to-depth profiles of soil properties and their dynamics. Our research team is poised to make significant advances in our understanding of dynamic processes in soils through research in sensor development, soil health, contaminant monitoring and carbon sequestration, ground penetration, data transmission, data analytics, dynamic physics-based and data-driven models, and visualization tools. SoilTech will provide the underlying research necessary to develop new, more efficient and more sustainable ways of studying soil properties and managing soils and natural resources for industries in the energy, environment, agriculture, utilities, defense, climate change adaptation, and communications sectors. The Center's research will lead to broad societal benefits such as reduced soil and water contamination, improvements to agricultural practices, food security and carbon sequestration, management of subsurface water resources, mitigation and prevention of damage to infrastructure within and overlying soils, and management of the nitrogen cycle.

Universities

University of Southern California
Iowa State University
University of Connecticut
University of Washington

View Center Website

Center Personnel

Payman Arabshahi
University of Washington Site Director

paymana@uw.edu

Carmen Gomes
Iowa State University Site Director

carmen@iastate.edu

Baikun Li
University of Connecticut Site Director

baikun.li@uconn.edu

Mahta Moghaddam
Center Director and University of Southern California Site Director

mahta@usc.edu

Research Focus

Soil sensors and sensor networks: While surface soil property characterization has improved in recent years, there is a lack of information about subsurface soil profiles except for a few sporadic observations via airborne and in-situ sensors. These sensors and sensor networks may utilize electrochemical, biological, optical, and microwave technology. SoilTech addresses this major knowledge gap through a multi-scale and multi-modality observational scenario, with novel in-situ and low-altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based sensors, high-altitude airborne and spaceborne remote sensors, and energy-aware wireless networks. For in-situ sensors, a further challenge is the development of sensor packages that are easily mass-deployed and resilient in the field over long periods of time. Many types of soil sensors such as electrochemical sensors still suffer from instability, low selectivity, and high detection limit. Such problems may lead to a limited and biased perception of soil health that severely hampers effective soil management and mitigation. Developing cost-effective, accurate, and durable soil sensors is often prohibitively expensive and too risky for a sensor company to handle alone.

Soil modeling and analytics: Soil sensor and sensor network observations can generate a variety of data types over a vast spatio-temporal domain. To enable decision support and mitigation measures, data analytic approaches need to be developed that integrate physics-based models and data-driven analyses and modeling capabilities. Such integrated models for information retrieval are currently lacking or are at very early development stages. Our research will use cutting-edge graph-based processing and machine learning methods for upscaling from in-situ to regional coverage and downscaling from satellite to local scale, while keeping in mind all axes of data heterogeneity (sensing modality, spatial scales, temporal scales).

Soil carbon capture and accounting: Soil carbon capture, subsurface storage, and monetizing carbon credits are rapidly growing focus areas in the agriculture, energy, and environment industries. However, initiatives in carbon capture and accounting are not yet well integrated. Understanding of how soil organic carbon dynamics are influenced by the climate, land use, and management practices is lacking. Carbon accounting efforts will require active collaboration across many industries to yield measurable impacts. In this respect, SoilTech will be able to make significant advances both by serving as a research and knowledge hub in this arena, and by aligning efforts for deploying frontier technologies for monitoring, modeling, and assessment of soil carbon capture and its impacts in agricultural, environmental, and energy practices.

Soil health and sustainability: Soil health and sustainability go far beyond any one organization’s land management initiatives. Truly transformative soil health and sustainable land use practices require the participation of multiple landholders across vast stretches of landscape. Understanding soil health through the measurement and analysis of soil features is vital for decision-making in many industry sectors including agriculture, energy, and defense. This information can also contribute to the efficient deployment of remediation strategies, improving environmental sustainability and conservation efforts. SoilTech’s proposed research in multi-scale soil sensing and advanced data analytics will enable these capabilities by bringing together multiple research efforts in universities, private industry, and government agencies.

Awards

2231646

IUCRC Phase I University of Connecticut: Center for Soil Technologies (SoilTech)

Healthy soils are needed to sustain life, to grow food, to provide shelter, to provide resilient infrastructure, and to enable mobility, but there is presently a lack of knowledge about many key aspects of soil and its dynamics such as variations in the moisture and organic matter content, and how these variations affect soil health and stability. The Center for Soil Technologies (SoilTech) is a partnership among the University of Southern California, Iowa State University, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Washington to address this knowledge gap with a mission to support industries related to agriculture, defense, energy, and environment. By convening researchers across the nation with complementary areas of expertise, and by recruiting Industry Advisory Board members from a broad range of industry, foundation, and government organizations, SoilTech will make crucial progress in understanding soil dynamics. SoilTech will serve as a first-of-its-kind hub for technical exchange and research among these organizations, providing inter-disciplinary knowledge synthesis and broad applications of its research. SoilTech’s participating sites have strong education and outreach programs addressing underrepresented populations in STEM fields. These programs will train the next generation of workforce in soil measurement and monitoring practices that will broadly benefit society.

The research teams at SoilTech are poised to make significant advances in the understanding of dynamic processes in soils through four research themes - Soil Sensors and Sensor Networks; Soil Modeling and Data Analytics; Soil Carbon Capture and Accounting; and Soil Health and Sustainability. SoilTech-enabled research will meet a number of unaddressed needs in industry sectors. Research topics include the development of resilient in-ground sensors and sensor networks, soil modeling and analytics for decision support, standardization of carbon accounting methodology, and developing holistic soil health initiatives such as contaminant mitigation and support for precision agriculture. SoilTech will provide the underlying research necessary to develop efficient and sustainable ways of understanding soil properties and managing natural resources. University Connecticut (UConn) contributions will focus on soil sensors and soil heath based on its research expertise. UConn has multiple world-class facilities to support SoilTech and foster partnerships with entrepreneurs. These resources include the Institute of Environment, Institute of Material Science, Agricultural Extension Station, Science I Research Center, and the newly inaugurated Innovation Partnership Building. UConn will also leverage several existing mechanisms for incorporating underrepresented students into SoilTech’s research, including the First Year Experience program, and Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

2231416

IUCRC Phase I University of Washington: Center for Soil Technologies (SoilTech)

Healthy soils are needed to sustain life, to grow food, to provide shelter, to provide resilient infrastructure, and to enable mobility, but there is presently a lack of knowledge about many key aspects of soil and its dynamics such as variations in the moisture and organic matter content, and how these variations affect soil health and stability. The Center for Soil Technologies (SoilTech) is a partnership among the University of Southern California, Iowa State University, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Washington to address this knowledge gap with a mission to support industries related to agriculture, defense, energy, and environment. By convening researchers across the nation with complementary areas of expertise, and by recruiting Industry Advisory Board members from a broad range of industry, foundation, and government organizations, SoilTech will make crucial progress in understanding soil dynamics. SoilTech will serve as a first-of-its-kind hub for technical exchange and research among these organizations, providing inter-disciplinary knowledge synthesis and broad applications of its research. SoilTech’s participating sites have strong education and outreach programs addressing underrepresented populations in STEM fields. These programs will train the next generation of workforce in soil measurement and monitoring practices that will broadly benefit society.

The SoilTech research teams are poised to make significant advances in the understanding of dynamic processes in soils through four research themes – Soil Sensors and Sensor Networks; Soil Modeling and Data Analytics; Soil Carbon Capture and Accounting; and Soil Health and Sustainability. SoilTech-enabled research will meet a number of as-yet unaddressed needs in several industry sectors. SoilTech will provide the underlying research necessary to develop new, more efficient, and more sustainable ways of understanding soil properties and managing soils as a natural resource. At the University Washington (UW), their research contributions will focus on soil modeling, wireless soil sensor networks, ambient energy harvesting, sensor development, and space-based remote sensing, leveraging multiple world-class facilities for support. These include the Applied Physics Laboratory, the eScience Institute, the Clean Energy Institute, the Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, UW + Amazon Science Hub, the Washington Nanofabrication Facility, and the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies. The center's research will be conducted with considerations of diversity, equity, and inclusion woven into the fabric of their work. Their workforce development plan includes creation of new courses and training modules, experiential learning modules, and collaboration with the UW NSF I-Corps Program for student entrepreneurial engagement.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

2231632

IUCRC Phase I Iowa State University: Center for Soil Technologies (SoilTech)

Healthy soils are needed to sustain life, to grow food, to provide shelter, to provide resilient infrastructure, and to enable mobility, but there is presently a lack of knowledge about many key aspects of soil and its dynamics such as variations in the moisture and organic matter content, and how these variations affect soil health and stability. The Center for Soil Technologies (SoilTech) is a partnership among the University of Southern California, Iowa State University, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Washington to address this knowledge gap with a mission to support industries related to agriculture, defense, energy, and environment. By convening researchers across the nation with complementary areas of expertise, and by recruiting Industry Advisory Board members from a broad range of industry, foundation, and government organizations, SoilTech will make crucial progress in understanding soil dynamics. SoilTech will serve as a first-of-its-kind hub for technical exchange and research among these organizations, providing inter-disciplinary knowledge synthesis and broad applications of its research. SoilTech’s participating sites have strong education and outreach programs addressing underrepresented populations in STEM fields. These programs will train the next generation of workforce in soil measurement and monitoring practices that will broadly benefit society.

The research teams at the SoilTech Center are poised to make significant advances in the understanding of dynamic processes in soils through four research themes - Soil Sensors and Sensor Networks; Soil Modeling and Data Analytics; Soil Carbon Capture and Accounting; and Soil Health and Sustainability – SoilTech-enabled research will meet a number of as yet unaddressed needs in several industry sectors. SoilTech will provide the underlying research necessary to develop new, more efficient, and more sustainable ways of understanding soil properties and managing soils and natural resources. Iowa State University contributions will focus on resilient in-ground sensors, space-based remote sensing, carbon accounting methodology standardization, and developing deployable soil health initiatives such as contaminant mitigation and support for precision agriculture, leveraging multiple world-class facilities for support. These include BioCentury Research Farm, Bioeconomy Institute, Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa Nutrient Research Center, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and Artificial Intelligence Institute for Resilient Agriculture. Our workforce development plan includes the creation of inclusive internship, training modules and experiential learning modules. This center site will leverage existing mechanisms for incorporating underrepresented students into the work, including the McNair Scholars Program, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, and First-Year Honors Program.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

2231659

IUCRC Phase I University of Southern California: Center for Soil Technologies (SoilTech), Lead Site

Healthy soils are needed to sustain life, to grow food, to provide shelter, to provide resilient infrastructure, and to enable mobility, but there is presently a lack of knowledge about many key aspects of soil and its dynamics such as variations in the moisture and organic matter content, and how these variations affect soil health and stability. The Center for Soil Technologies (SoilTech) is a partnership among the University of Southern California, Iowa State University, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Washington to address this knowledge gap with a mission to support industries related to agriculture, defense, energy, and environment. By convening researchers across the nation with complementary areas of expertise, and by recruiting Industry Advisory Board members from a broad range of industry, foundation, and government organizations, SoilTech will make crucial progress in understanding soil dynamics. SoilTech will serve as a first-of-its-kind hub for technical exchange and research among these organizations, providing inter-disciplinary knowledge synthesis and broad applications of its research. SoilTech’s participating sites have strong education and outreach programs addressing underrepresented populations in STEM fields. These programs will train the next generation of workforce in soil measurement and monitoring practices that will broadly benefit society.

The SoilTech research teams are poised to make significant advances in the understanding of dynamic processes in soils through four research themes - Soil Sensors and Sensor Networks; Soil Modeling and Data Analytics; Soil Carbon Capture and Accounting; and Soil Health and Sustainability. SoilTech-enabled research will meet a number of as-yet unaddressed needs in several industry sectors. SoilTech will provide the underlying research necessary to develop new, more efficient, and more sustainable ways of understanding soil properties and managing soils as a natural resource. At the University of Southern California (USC), their research contributions will include the development of miniaturized and inexpensive sensor systems for soil moisture, organic content, and contaminants, as well as soil data analytic methods using machine learning and artificial intelligence, ground-based and drone-based sensor swarms to probe the soil profile properties to the root zone, and soil geospatial analysis for decision support. Their research will be conducted with considerations of diversity, equity, and inclusion woven into the fabric of our work. Their workforce development plan includes creation of new courses and training modules, utilizing the USC iPodia online distributed classrooms, experiential learning modules, and collaboration with the NSF I-Corps Hub: West region for student entrepreneurial engagement.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

Member Organizations

IUCRC affiliated member organizations are displayed as submitted by the Center. Non-federal organizations are not selected, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Bayer
Deere
Foundation for Food and Agriculture
Mitsubishi
NASA
Onset Corp.
Raytheon
Syngenta

The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the Center author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.