A local data scientist says farming is essential to helping aid food security issues, so she’s come up with a program to help farmers monitor their crops.

Heather Zurel says she’s developed an online database with continuous information on crop conditions that farmers can access 24/7.

Data is collected through sensors placed within the soil that automatically upload data online.

She says the precise measurements can help farmers in a number of ways, such as making sure soil is not under or over watered.

She says the precise measurement provided allows farmers to know exactly how much water is needed. “If you over water, you dissolve the nutrients and wash them too deep into the soil for plants to access,” says Zurel. If the soil is damaged, more fertilizer has to be applied. Avoiding the need to do so saves money from high fertilizer costs, reduces waste, and minimizes environmental impact.

Zurel has teamed up with a farmer and hopes to have the project fully launched by 2024.