Measuring electric current in soil could provide answers on soil health

Researchers have developed a way to assess soil health by measuring the electric current produced by its tiniest microbes. They used a probe originally developed to measure the electrochemical signal of microbes in aquatic environments, and tested it on healthy and unhealthy soil samples to measure microbial metabolism and other indicators of soil health. This proof-of-concept research could someday lead to a simple, real-time test for farmers to determine whether soil is productive.

from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3sxjwqH