Crop scientists over the years have learned a great deal about how plants grow above the ground, but much less is known about roots and their soil interactions. To rectify that, worm-like, soil-swimming robots are being deployed to sense and record soil properties, water, the soil microbiome and how roots grow, says Cornell University.

Acquisition adds 500,000 acres under management, over 10 years of in-soil U.S. farm data, agronomy-based analytics platform and experienced team to expand global leadership position in soil and crop analytics.

A recent two-day summit about preserving the crucial aquifer drew officials from several states, but the real-life hard work of addressing low adoption of water-saving practices like no-till and precision technology still lies ahead.

Despite the common assumption growers can't make cover crops work on dryland wheat in eastern Oregon, Wasco County wheat grower Noah Williams is working with his local NRCS and the county's Soil and Water Conservation District experts to seed covers to reduce erosion, retain soil moisture and build more organic matter.

One of the main benefits of using sensors to better manage irrigation is the reduced costs of pumping, as sensor users estimate water savings of 2 inches per acre, says University of Nebraska Extension.