b'Sustainable Innovations in Agriculture: Smartphone App to Measure Soil Aggregate StabilityEmpowers Growersare collections of soil particles held together by chemical The future success ofbonds as well as roots, sugars, and glues made by soil regenerativeorganisms. The more stable soil aggregates are, the more agricultureresistant soils are to wind and water erosion,at scale boilsand compaction. down to oneCameron Ogilvie, Soil Health Educator with SHI, is key ingredient:enthusiastic about this new tool. Potato growers know giving farmershow important good soil structure is for growing a the informationhealthy crop. This app provides a new science-backed they need to test in the palm of growers hands that they can run on be successful.their tailgate!Wayne Honeycutt,The Slakes app, available from Google Play and the Apple President and CEO,App Store, uses a smartphone camera to take a picture Soil Health Institute of three dry soil aggregates before and after exposing Regenerative agriculture can mean many differentthem to water for 10 minutes. The app then automatically things to different people, but the unifying principlecalculates an aggregate stability index. Weaker the foundationis soil health. Healthy soil makes cropsaggregates will slake (or break apart) more easily, while more resilient to drought and heavy rain, reducesstronger aggregates will slake less, indicating better reliance on expensive crop inputs, and supportsaggregation and healthier soil.productive and profitable farm businesses. This makes You cant manage what you cant measure, says Ogilvie,regenerative agriculture one of those rare win-winand being able to measure soil structure and soil health situations for farmers, agricultural industries, theis a critical part of making sound management decisions.environment, and ultimately, for society.SHI recommends measuring aggregate stability using the Slakes app as part of a minimum suite of Were excited to see that interest in regenerative agriculture has really taken off, says Dr. Wayne Honeycutt,measurements to assess the impact of management President and CEO of the Soil Health Institute (SHI). McCainpractices on soil health. Aggregate stability index values Foods has committed to implementing regenerativefrom Slakes can be compared over time to measure practices on 100% of their potato acreage by 2030. improvements in soil health.SHI has been working with McCain on their regenerativeAs Honeycutt noted, agriculture journey in the last couple of years, supporting Improving soil health staff and growers with soil health education. SHI andthrough regenerative McCain have established peer networks where farmerspractices can help them and technical specialists can partner together to adaptbuild resilience and regenerative practices to their potato operations andimprove their bottom their regions. In that time, SHI has also released Slakes,lines. Ive never met a free smartphone app toa farmer who, after measure aggregate stability,transitioning to a a powerful indicator ofregenerative soil health soil health. Aggregatessystem, ever went back!We are McCain mccain.com/sustainability'