Predictive Top Soil Mapping with SoilOptix

Watch Webinar on Demand!

innov8.ag is getting back into our weekly webinars dedicated to bringing individuals from all backgrounds into an environment where informational discussions can help you stay up-to-date on the agriculture world. This webinar is focused on our close partnership with SoilOptix®, a Canadian based company that manufactured and designed an innovative gamma radiation-based sensor that empowers growers with 25+ high resolution top soil property layers (physical properties, macro/micro nutrients, & complex models). Offering much more than traditional soil measurement practices, SoilOptix® delivers the highest definition and most detailed field nutrient maps obtainable today. Learn more on how innov8.ag with the use of SoilOptix sensors can help growers make the best decisions for management and soil stewardship.

About the Panelists:

Jered Carlson- Orchard Operations Manager at Skone & Connors Produce

Jered has been around tree fruit most of my 50 years. Early in his career he started managing orchards in the Yakima Valley, then moved on to becoming an area manager in the Columbia Basin. In 2001 he took a position as head of field staff for Valley Fruit. The goal was to pass on horticultural experience to the grower community that delivered fruit to the warehouse. Currently, Jered works at Skone & Connors Produce out of Royal City as their Orchard Operations Manager, managing approximately 550 acres of apples. On top of working at S&C he also owns a consulting company that works with growers, packers and even sales desks.

Zach Harmer- North American Sales & Global Support Manager at SoilOptix®

Zach Harmer is North American Sales & Global Support Manager for SoilOptix® Inc. Raised surrounding the agricultural industry and a graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Geography from Brock University, he provides a fresh look into soil technology utilizing his strength in GIS and geostatistics. Zach started as a summer student with Practical Precision Inc. and resumed his role in 2017 under the SoilOptix® Inc namesake.

Wade Carter, President of Northwest Agricultural Consultants 

Wade Carter the President of Northwest Agricultural Consultants has 14 years of experience in agricultural and environmental chemistry labs. He's also been the lab director for 7 years. Northwest Agricultural Consultants is a full service NAPT-PAP accredited analytical laboratory specializing in soil, plant, and water testing. They have actively been of service to the agricultural community of the Pacific Northwest for over 35 years.

Steve Mantle- CEO, innov8.ag

Steve is the founder of innov8.ag, a Walla Walla Washington-based agtech startup and Microsoft-partnered company. Prior to embarking on the startup, Steve spent 12 years at Microsoft where he most recently focused on Microsoft’s fastest growing product line, Azure Cloud. His leadership skills contributed to growing Azure from a $100M to a $10B+/year business over 6 years. After his time spent at the Microsoft headquarters in Seattle, Steve decided to relocate his family of four to Walla Walla, Washington, in the summer of 2018. He envisions this location as the perfect base for ag startups given the convergence of progressive farmers and three colleges with strengths in agriculture, engineering, science, established ag manufacturers, strong connectivity providers, and a highly collaborative business climate.  An Australian by birth, Steve has his MBA from the University of Washington.

Caleb Pan- Data Scientist, innov8.ag

Caleb Pan is a local Spokane resident that has a B.S. and M.S. in Geology and a PhD in Systems Ecology. With experience and skills in machine learning, remote sensing, and geospatial analysis, Caleb's data skills will help innov8.ag provide growers with a timely analysis of our offerings. As other employees like Brent and Kayla conduct ATV Orchard runs we'll be able to relay the data to Caleb for analysis. Caleb gives innov8.ag the resources and skills to help growers better manage their resources in a timely manner.

Webinar Schedule:

• Intro + quick survey (Steve, Ioan) – 
• Grower perspective on innov8.ag + SoilOptix data (Jered Carlson)  – 5 min
• Soil lab approach (Wade Carter, NW Ag) – 5 minOverview of NW Ag scope, scale (# of samples processed each year), employee competency (staff profile) Efficacy of data, certification proof points that require repeatability Why local labs vs midwest Thoughts on carbon mapping 
• SoilOptix (Zach Harmer) – 10 minWhat it is / benefits How the product evolved from its roots in Netherlands > mining exploration > today Where & how it’s being used around the globe (quantify # of acres, scans, types of crops, carbon mapping, etc) The approach: scan 1x every 5 years (explain why) / soil samples 2-3x/year 
• Innov8 (Steve, Caleb) – 5 minDemo agrinet app Additional data analysis / use cases: mapping soil texture > water + yield optimization soil amendment considerations Baseline for carbon mapping (light focus) 
• Q&A – 5 min