Soil Scout Sensor Issue 6

Issue 06 

| Autumn 2022 

@Soil_Scout 

@SoilScout 

SENSOR 

GAIN A DEEPER VIEW OF SOIL SCOUT 

The 

Soil Scout 

Story 


GROWING 

GRASS ON 

THE WORLD'S 

STAGE WITH 

PRECISION 

DATA 

ASK 

US 

TODAY 

ABOUT 

OUR 

SPECIAL 

SHOW 

OFFER! 

A new 

dual-depth 

sensor 

STATS AND 

FACTS TO 

PROVE YOUR 

CASE 

INSIDE Soil Scout welcomes Christian Walter | Technology hungry farmers | Special 20% off - SALTEX offer | Turf Tec Live 

Meet the underground soil data family | Sensors around the world | Your FAQs answered | Plus much, much more! 

soilscout.com 

Agriculture 

Golf Courses 

Sports Stadiums 

Soil Scout Story Issue 6 V1.indd 1 24/10/2022 17:47

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STAND H081 

www.soilscout.com 


EDITOR 

Welcome 

Welcome 


Soil Scout Sensor is the 

official quarterley magazine 

for Soil Scout Oy. 

Soil Scout Oy 

Lapinlahdenkatu 16 

00180 Helsinki 

Finland 

The views expresssed in Soil 

Scout Sensor are those of 

the individual contributors 

and not necessarily the views 

of Soil Scout Oy who take no 

responsibility for them. 

Hello, welcome to issue six 

of our very own Sensor 

magazine. 

We have another 

packed issue for you to 

enjoy, once again some of the leading 

industry personalities have contributed 

to the magazine telling first-hand their 

experiences using the Soil Scout solution. 

Our headline feature is an exclusive 

interview with Bernhard and Company’s 

Turf Technologies Business Development 

Manager Steve Wilson. 

Steve has been busy overseeing the 

installation of SubAir Systems vacuum 

and ventilation system along with Soil 

Scout sensors into all of the Qatar 

Stadiums ahead of the world's biggest 

football tournament, starting later this 

month. 

We also speak to Preston North End 

Head Groundsman Pete Ashworth. Pete 

has been at Preston for 17 years and 

is credited with having one of the best 

playing surfaces currently in the Sky Bet 

Championship. Pete likens the Soil Scout 

solution to a 'comfort blanket' - he sleeps 

soundly knowing that with the sensors in 

the ground he's not overdoing the water 

or letting his pitch get too dry. 

There's plenty more in this issue, 

including an interview with leader of the 

Smart Bioeconomy team at the JAMK 

Institute in Finland - Hannu Haapala. 

Hannu and his expert team are helping 

farmers make better use of precision data 

and technology. 

I hope that you enjoy reading the 

stories, please do reach out to a member 

of the team if you have any questions, we 

are always available to help... Come and 

say hello to Nick, Jalmari, Tommi and 

myself at SALTEX, you will be guaranteed 

a very warm welcome on stand H081. 

You can also ask us about our special 

20% Off, Soil Scout Starter Kit offer! 

James Baylis 

Head of Creative Content 

james.baylis@soilscout.com 

All content is copyright 

© Soil Scout Oy 2022 and 

may not be reproduced 

without written permission. 

Design & Layout 

JAMES BAYLIS 

Head of Creative Content 

james.baylis@soilscout.com 

Contributors: 

BLAIR FERGUSON, 

MIKE ABRAM 

& the Soil Scout team. 

Soil Scout 

Agriculture 

Golf Courses 

Sports Stadiums 

Soil Scout provides the most advanced fully buried underground wireless 

soil sensor and monitoring solution for professionals in Agriculture, Golf and 

Sports turf maintenance. 

Several golf courses and sports fields worldwide, including such iconic 

venues as the Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia Phillies, use Soil Scout to 

maintain their turf in tip-top shape while reducing maintenance costs and 

water consumption. 

Farmers and agriculture professionals around the world use Soil Scout to 

understand their fields, optimize soil conditions for better growth and improve 

crop production, also reducing operational costs and water consumption. 

Soil Scout Sensor has been 

designed and printed by Plus 

Two Media Limited. 

For more information about 

design and publishing call: 

07977 481186 or email: 

james@plus2media.co.uk 

#GainADeeperView | @Soil_Scout | soilscout.com 3 


OPENING 

Comment 

YOU CAN ONLY 

MANAGE WHAT 

YOU MEASURE! 

How technology can help address challenges through tough 

times with Soil Scout CEO Jalmari Talola. 

It is quite clear by now, that there’s no need to 

enumerate all the different challenges currently 

affecting our lives. The common denominator is the 

increase in costs, which is affecting us in all different 

areas. 

The main question is how to overcome these challenges 

and what role does technology play in that? 

I would dare to claim that those organisations that 

already use technology and continue expanding the use of 

it have a better chance of successfully getting through these 

tough times. But which areas should these investments be 

directed to and when is the right time to implement new 

methods? 

Solve your biggest challenge 

Having discussed this, with various stakeholders, the 

guideline is usually very simple: focus on solving your 

biggest challenge! This is often easier said than done, 

but like eating an elephant, cutting it into pieces 

usually helps solve challenges. A good rule of thumb 

is to make just one technology investment and 

implementation per year and therefore get the most 

out of it before moving to the next one. 

Digitisation in many cases means measuring and 

as we well know, you can only manage what you 

can measure. And the measured information 

helps significantly in making operations more 

efficient and controlling costs down the path. 

But that can only happen when measured 

information has really led to actions. 

Let me bring up two recent examples of 

how people in our networks have addressed 

these problems: 

Trumetari Farm in Ulvila, Finland is 

one of the farmers who have realised the 

unacceptable mismatch of irrigation cost and 

the arbitrarily of deciding how much to apply 

and when to begin. During the record-breaking hot 

summer in 2021, their Soil Scout data played a crucial 

role when they realised they lacked a proper irrigation 

strategy. 

In March this year Trumetari farm quoted: "In the 

extreme 2021 drought our irrigation capacity was 

completely inadequate. It would have been fatal to 

4 soilscout.com | @Soil_Scout | #GainADeeperView 


| Inside | 

Issue 6 

Cover 

Story 

waste time irrigating areas, where moisture 

status did not yet require it. By continuously 

focusing efforts on the most critical zones, 

we were able to sustain plants over the 

worst drought period. Beginning in March 

we were selling potatoes we simply would 

not have had without Soil Scout.” 

Return of investment 

Another example is our Norwegian 

partner Agdir AS. Team Agdir has spent 

quite some time discussing with local 

farmers to understand their problems and 

needs. Agdir then gathered these needs 

and developed a software called Agdir 

Farm that combines different datasets to 

address the exact issues which the local 

farming community is facing. For example, 

combining rainfall and evaporation data 

from Soil Scout with Agdir's data can 

improve different farming practices by 

indicating the best time to start the efforts. 

This is one of our highest priorities in 

our day to day activities: to make sure Soil 

Scout data is really getting in actionable 

and practical use by our customers. Would 

the data not lead to better management, 

we would have failed in delivering our 

customers with a return of investment and 

added value. Fortunately, that does not 

seem to be the case, as our data is daily 

feeding data to irrigation systems, vacuum 

systems, heating systems, turf management 

software and farm management 

information systems, leading to better 

quality, quantity and lower operating costs. 

In this issue of Sensor magazine we 

introduce a new, exciting product to the Soil 

Scout portfolio. The ground-breaking Dual 

Depth sensor (DDS), gives the well-known 

Soil Scout Hydra sensor an additional 

sensing head, interconnected with a cable. 

Dual Depth sensor 

Many of our customers have been asking 

for this kind of a product for some time now 

and we are very happy to finally make it 

available. This really is a solution to their 

various needs in all different segments. In 

agriculture we now enable the monitoring 

of deep rooted crops, in sports and golf let 

customers do vertical profiling to optimise 

their use of inputs and prevent fertiliser 

leaching, and those in landscaping finally 

have a single product that fits to all of their 

monitoring needs. 

The first actual user for this new product 

comes from Argentina, where a local 

new-world vineyard Bodega Renacer had 

the privilege to be the world's first user to 

start gaining the value of this new type of a 

sensor. 

Remember, you can only manage what 

you measure! 

Qatar Stadiums | p6 | 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pete Ashworth | p16 | 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Jalmari 

jalmari.talola@soilscout.com 

Hannu Haapala | p22 | 

 

 

 

 



HEADLINE 

Feature 

GROWING 

GRASS ON 

THE WORLD'S 

STAGE WITH 

PRECISION 

DATA 

Few events require precision more than the 

globe’s major footballing spectacle. Everything 

from the placement of the goals, width of the 

lines and moisture of the soil goes into making a 

pitch for the world’s best, and in Qatar, it’s being 

achieved using SubAir and Soil Scout. 

Blair Ferguson spoke to Bernhard and Company’s 

Turf technologies Business Development Manager 

Steve Wilson to find out how the installation went 

and how the Qatar stadiums are utilising their SubAir 

and Soil Scout solutions. 

If precision is the aim of the world footballs 

governing body, then SubAir is almost the 

literal foundation it is built on for pitches. 

Operating below the surface, the vacuum 

and ventilation system is in place at all 

eight stadiums and is, and continues to be, a 

crucial part of pitch management. 

Bernhard and Company's Turf Technologies 

Business Development Manager Steve Wilson is 

heading up the relationship between Bernhard 

and all parties from the Qatar side. Working out 

of Manilla in the Philippines, Steve has been the 

primary contact between Bernhard and Company, 

the Qatar Supreme Committee, the world 

football governing body and various contractors, 

consultants and management since 2018. 

The proud Canadian will be in Qatar as 

tournament support for grinding and SubAir 

whilst his home country of Canada and 31 others 

compete to become world champions. 

The success of the pitches ultimately comes 

down to the preparation, and that involves 

implementing the best technology available to 

grow grass in the desert. 

Initially, the SubAir and Soil Scout combination 

was taken on as insurance, but the real-time data, 

unique stadium proximity and desert conditions 

soon provided interesting data that changed how 

the system was used. 

Steve explains: “Getting started in Qatar, 

everyone thought of SubAir as water removal and 

insurance. If they are going to get rain, typically, 



YOU GET TO WORK ON A MATCHDAY, AND 

THE PITCH IS WITHIN THE SET PARAMETERS 

AUTOMATICALLY. SUBAIR AND SOIL SCOUT 

WORK HAND IN HAND AND THAT ALLOWS 

THE PITCH MANAGER TO RELAX 

STEVE WILSON 

Business Development Manager, Bernhard Turf Technologies 

A general view of match action in the Ahmad Bin 

Ali Stadium, Qatar. Picture by Matthew Ashton 



HEADLINE 

Feature 

{1} 

{2} {3} 

Qatar will get it in November. So you think on a 

global scale, even if there is a one-minute delay 

of a football match because of rain or moisture, 

the knock-on is huge. 

“Then you’ve got the safety aspect. If you’ve 

got a game, there can easily be two hundred 

million dollars worth of players on the pitch. So 

you want to make it as safe as possible. 

Moisture removal 

“Realistically, with SubAir, all we move is air 

using pressure or vacuum. By going into vacuum, 

the by-product is water coming with it, so we 

remove water. And moisture removal is what 

SubAir is most famous for. What we’ve learnt, 

and we didn’t know this going into Qatar, is how 

beneficial pressure would be. 

“Going into pressure, we get an air exchange 

and take out bad gases and replace it with good 

gas. When we go into vacuum, we’re dropping 



HEADLINE 

Feature 

WITH SOIL SCOUT, YOU'RE SEEING IT IN 

REAL-TIME, AND IT'S CONTINUOUS WHETHER 

IT'S MIDNIGHT OR FOUR IN THE MORNING; IT'S 

A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF DATA 

STEVE WILSON 


2% moisture per hour and things like that, 

which we suspected, but we would never have 

confirmed without the sensors. 

“But the most important thing we’ve learnt is 

pressure in the desert environment. We’re forcing 

air in, and we’re able to keep the moisture in the 

root zone longer. So rather than gravity pulling 

it out and going in the drainage and leaving the 

soil profile, we’re running pressure, and we’re 

able to monitor that, and we can see live that the 

percentage of moisture is staying there longer 

when we’re in pressure. And Soil Scout has given 

Soil Scout Stadium 

Sensor 1 23.5 % 



Sensor 423.5 % 22.7 % 


us the ability to monitor it live. 

“We can see the moisture levels and act 

accordingly to dry the roots or keep the moisture. 

So it just allows you to control that root zone 

without disrupting the surface. Typically if you 

wanted more air, you’d have to punch holes 

which can damage the surface or the stitching, 

which is an expensive investment. 

Data-driven decisions 

“Now we can manage it without touching the 

surface. Then having Soil Scout means we’re not 

guessing. There’s no thinking it’s too dry or too 

wet. The pitch manager has actual data to base 

their decisions on. 

“If it rains overnight, we can turn on an 

automatic system, so if the moisture level on the 

Soil Scouts gets too high, the SubAir can turn on 

and pull the moisture out. 

“As a pitch manager, you don’t need to have 

sleepless nights worrying about thunderstorms 

and rain. You can sleep like a baby, and the 

system will turn itself on through the Soil Scouts 

and pull the moisture down. 

“You get to work on a matchday, and the 

pitch is within the set parameters automatically. 

SubAir and Soil Scout work hand in hand, and 

that allows the pitch manager to relax. 








{1} The SubAir System in situ. 

{2} The Aspire pitch manager at the Ahmad Bin Ali 

Stadium, Qatar looks at real-time Soil Scout data on his 

mobile phone. 

Picture by Matthew Ashton, AMA Sports Photo Agency 

{3} At the controls of the SubAir Sytem. 

Opposite; an example of how the Soil Scout Hub 

displays the soil moisture data on a mobile phone 

or tablet, available 24/7 for pitch managers to have 

immediate access to. 



HEADLINE 

Feature 

{1} 

{2} 

{1} Steve Wilson oversees the Soil Scout sensor installation. 

{2} The sensors were installed into the pitches with the help of a turf 

doctor. 

{3} A perfect location for the Soil Scout base station - high above the 

stadium in the roof top construction. 

{3} 



HEADLINE 

Feature 

Above; irrigation on the pitch at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, picture by Matthew Ashton, AMA Sports Photo Agency 

“It’s all data-driven, and you can’t argue 

against data.” 

The data-driven approach between Aspire, 

who run and operate the sites, and the 

tournament organiser has been prevalent, and 

the use of the data has grown, but the real-time 

aspect is proving most valuable. 

You can't argue against data 

Twelve sensors are installed in the already 

constructed pitches in just over an hour using 

a turf doctor. These are placed at the corner of 

each 18-yard box and then horizontally adjacent 

on the centre line at depths of three and six 

inches. 

As mentioned by Steve, the data informs 

decision-making, and in the case of over seeding, 

it has been a vital tool. 

In seven of the eight stadiums, the air 

conditioning systems were used to bring the soil 

temperature down from 30 to 35 degrees Celsius 

to 24 and 26.5 in the upper root zone during 

September 2022. This was done to make the 

paspalum dormant and aid the over seeding of 

ryegrass. 

By monitoring the soil temperature using the 

sensors, the perfect time to over seed was chosen 

with an almost guaranteed germination and 

uptake with no paspalum resistance. 

Whilst an invaluable use of the technology, 

Steve sees a bigger picture for the dashboard and 

how automation can aid the pitch quality during 

this tournament and the next edition in America, 

Canada and Mexico. 

“Aspire is going to have a headquarters where 

they are going to be monitoring all stadiums 

during the tournament” Steve explained. “They 

want to set up a dashboard with a central control 

which will have all eight stadiums. 

“They could have soil temperatures, moisture 

and salinity for every venue. I think that is 

huge, and I think they can pull it off. I think 

it’s something for future where you can say 

to tournament organisers they could have 

this dashboard at their headquarters and 

see every stadium for the US, Canada and 

Mexico tournament. You’re across such a crazy 

environmental zone there that it would make a 

huge difference. 

“I think it’s incredible that they can sit 

anywhere in the world and have a dashboard 

that shows all their real-time stadium data. They 

can make decisions on irrigation based on the 

data and make good decisions. 

Real-time data on dashboards 

“Even golf management companies could use 

it. Imagine having it on 140 golf courses. Having 

all of that information there and being able to 

apply parameters on soil moisture that gives you 

a flag when it’s too high or low is so valuable. 

“Soil Scout has that technology, and it is 

incredible. There’s nothing stopping them from 

using it for training pitches, either. Maybe you 

don’t use 12 sensors, but enough to get an 

overview. 

“What’s also important is the software is 

really easy to use. We’re sitting here live, and I 



HEADLINE 

Feature 

Qatar Stadiums 

Ahmed Bin Ali 

Stadium 

Al Rayyan 

Al Bayt Stadium 

Al Khor 

Lusail Stadium 

Lusail 

The furthest distance between two 

stadiums is 45 miles and that provides 

a one-off opportunity to study the 

stadium effects on pitches. 

Education City 

Stadium 

Al Rayyan 

Ras Abu Aboud Stadium 

Doha 

Khalifa International 

Stadium 

Doha 

Al Janoub Stadium 

Al Wakrah 

Al Thumana Stadium 

Doha 

Saudi 

Arabia 

Qatar 

10 miles 

The average temperature in Doha in 

November is max 29.5°C (85.1°F) and 

min 19.5°C (67.1°F). The perfect water 

temperature of 27.3°C (81.1°F) with 

3.3mm (0.13") of accumulated rainfall. 

STADIUM 974 

Stadium 974 also known as the Ras Abu Aboud Stadium 

situated in the east of Doha near the Port and Hamad 

International Airport, is moulded out of 974 shipping 

containers, all the containers are made from 

recycled steel, and the number 974 which 

symbolizes Qatar's dialling code. 



HEADLINE 

Feature 

AS A PITCH MANAGER, YOU DON'T HAVE TO 

HAVE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS WORRYING ABOUT 

THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN. THE SYSTEM WILL 

TURN ITSELF ON THROUGH THE SOIL SCOUTS 

AND PULL THE MOISTURE DOWN 

STEVE WILSON 


can show you what’s going on and control the 

systems, and we can see how they are using the 

system as well.” 

Qatar, a unique opportunity 

Qatar has been a unique opportunity to work 

in desert conditions but also in eight stadiums 

that are so close to each other. The furthest 

distance between two stadiums is 45 miles and 

that provides a one-off opportunity to study the 

stadium effects on pitches. 

“All of the pitches are similar. They are all 

stitched hybrids. Seven are SIS Grass, and one 

is GrassMax. But they are all basically in the 

same growing environment, same soil media, 

same grass paspalum base, and over seeded to 

ryegrass,” Steve explained. 

“Surprisingly, the data we get from each 

stadium does vary even though they are 

close together. We have one stadium, and for 

whatever reason, it seems to drain faster than 

the others. Another one is coastal, and it seems 

to hold salinity, so when we go into vacuum to 

draw the moisture out of the root zone, and 

salinity drops with it. 

“So again, having Soil Scout allows us to see 

that in real-time. The old system of running 

around with a moisture meter – you’re not 

seeing it in real-time. You go and do it now 

and then five hours from now. With Soil Scout, 

you’re seeing it in real-time, and it’s continuous 

whether it’s midnight, four in the morning or 

whatever time it is; it’s a continuous stream of 

data. 

“We turn our system on, and we can see 

real-time changes. As the moisture draws 

down, does the temperature change? Does 

salinity move? It gives you the data to manage 

and make decisions based on what is actually 

happening. 

Leading technology 

“I think having that number of stadiums 

in close proximity, we’ve learnt a lot that we 

wouldn’t have done elsewhere. We can see that 

stadium has been run for six hours in pressure, 

and we see what’s happened live with the 

moisture. Then we have another one down the 

road that runs vacuum, and we can compare 

that.” 

Using the leading technology in the business, 

all parties have honed surfaces befitting of the 

event. As well as informing pitch maintenance 

in the region, the approach can be scaled up 

for the future and ensure turf quality at major 

sports events for years to come. 

www.subairsystems.com www.bernhard.co.uk www.soilscout.com 

Pictures by: 

Matthew Ashton, AMA Sports Photo Agency | Steve Wilson, Bernhard | Aspire 



SOIL SCOUT 

DATA FOR THE WORLD! 

400 + 

Worldwide customers 

trust Soil Scout 

170,000 

New soil measurements 

every day 

7,000 


New soil measurements 

every hour 


4,000 + 

Hydra Scout sensors 

buried around the world 

130 

Million soil 

measurements 

since 2013 

40gb 

Soil measurement data 

collected since 2013 



GAIN A DEEPER VIEW 

Interview 

STATS AND 

FACTS TO 

PROVE YOUR 

CASE 

Pete Ashworth is part of the furniture at Preston North End, he's been Head 

Groundsman for 17 years but stumbled upon the profession completely by chance. 

Now he's custodian of one of the best pitches in the Championship and has recently 

added the Soil Scout solution to his technology line up. 

By Blair Ferguson 

Deepdale is one for the purists. As the 

oldest professional footballing site in 

the world in continuous use, it has 

seen every change in football since 

1875 and will likely see the many 

changes to come. 

For the last 17 years, Preston North End FC 

Head Groundsman Pete Ashworth has been 

part of Deepdale’s history. His journey into 

groundsmanship started by chance with a flyer 

posted through his door from Myerscough 

College. 

Started by chance 

Despite being in the middle of a BTEC in 

science, which he planned to turn into a career 

as a physio, Pete made the change to turf and 

has never looked back. 

“It was really that much by chance,” he 

says of the circumstances that led him to 

groundsmanship. 

“I always fancied working outside, and I’ve 

always liked football, so I went that route rather 

than the physio route for whatever reason. 

People probably think I’m crazy, but it was the 

right decision because I love it. 

“I’d been to football as a kid, and you walk in 

the stadium, and the pitch is always something 

everyone comments on, isn’t it? And it almost 

sticks in your mind that first time you go to a 

football match and see the pitch.” 

Work experience at Blackburn Rovers when 

they were the Man City of their era followed. 

At the time, Rovers had just installed their 

first fibresand pitch, which Pete recalls looking 

unbelievable. 

Pitch technology 

In 1998, that would be his first taste of the 

pitch technology changes to come. Now, with 

six staff at his disposal, he is in charge of two 

training grounds with three pitches at each site. 

At Deepdale, on their fibresand pitch, he uses 

TLS lighting rigs to great effect. The surface 

is often regarded as among the best in The 

Championship, and as technology is 

moving, Pete is keen to continue moving 

with it. 

“We’d like more rigs that work with 

apps so you can monitor what’s been 

where,” he explains. “We do it more 

by eye and by noting how long each 

rig has been in a certain area, so we 

could be on top of it better. 

“With Soil Scout sensors we can see 

the soil’s temperature, which helps us 

have a better idea if the grass is going 

to grow basically. So it’s something 

Pictures by James Baylis 



I'LL ALWAYS BE LOOKING AT THE DASHBOARD, AND 

IT MIGHT GIVE US THAT EXTRA BELIEF THAT 

EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IS RIGHT 

PETE ASHWORTH 




Interview 

that’s more scientific than what we’ve had and 

enhances what we do.” 

Pete is closely monitoring the moisture levels 

with a sensor in the corner of each 18-yard box, 

one in the centre circle and one in the darkest 

corner of the stadium. 

Valuable tool for grow-in 

He explains that keeping the pitch at 20% 

moisture is the main aim, and this benefit was 

mainly seen during the summer grow-in. 

“It’s been a valuable tool during our grow-in 

this summer because it’s been so dry. It’s been 

good to see if we’re putting too much water on, 

and we’ve tried to keep it around the 20% mark 

consistently. 

“If we saw it was dropping off a bit to say 16% 

or 17%, we might stick an extra pass on at night 

just to top it back up. So, it’s been good that way. 

“It’s almost like a comfort blanket, knowing 

you’re not overdoing it or letting it get too dry.” 

The successful grow-in contrasted with the 

grow-ins at the first team Euxton training 

ground. While irrigation improvements are 

underway, the implementation is staggered. 

Inconsistencies with the watering pattern led 

to issues during the fibresand installation, and 

Pete quickly recognised the benefit of having Soil 

Scout in the pitches would have had. 

“The club came back to me to ask what was 

wrong with one of the pitches, and even though 

you explain it’s because of the sprinklers, they 

don’t get it because all they see is the system 

working and water coming out. 

Recognising the benefits 

“If I stood in the middle with four sprinklers 

on, I wouldn’t get wet. So, having sensors that, 

for example, show the moisture is at 10% would 

have been helpful in that situation. 

“At Deepdale, we’ve kept it at 20%, and the 

grow-in has been brilliant, with a 100% take. We 

haven’t had to overseed any areas, and it’s been 

bang on. 

“We do have the front edge where we 

upgraded the irrigation on one of the pitches 

at the training ground. Even though it was 

renovated last, it’s caught up and gone past the 

others because the irrigation was getting on. 

“If you had Soil Scout in there, it would be an 

extra tool to give info back to the management. 

Sometimes they think you’re making excuses, but 

if you’ve got the sensors in the ground, it’s stats 

and facts you can use to prove your case. 

“I go in and see the bosses and show them 

Deepdale is on 20% where we want to keep it, 




Interview 

and these are getting 10%. So it’s there as a fact 

on a screen, not just me going in and throwing 

some numbers at them and them saying, ‘where’s 

your evidence?’ It just helps you push your 

cause.” 

A fact on a screen 

Away from the decision-making, time-saving 

and evidence aspects, Pete also appreciates that 

proximity is no longer issue. At a moment’s 

notice, he can open the Soil Scout app and check 

if Deepdale needs water or answer questions 

from his team regardless of where he is. 

Going into winter, the soil temperature 

will become more important and dictate the 

number of frost sheets put out in the build-up to 

games. Again, a small change that can make a 

considerable time-saving difference. 

Small changes for big time savings 

Over time benchmarking fertiliser is also on his 

list. Knowing what works best at certain times of 

year is a simple yet exceptionally important thing 

for Pete, who is finding the more he uses the 

sensors, the more he gets from them. 

In closing, he remarks: “I’ll always be looking 

at the dashboard, and it might give us that extra 

belief that everything we’re doing is right.” 

@peteash04 

I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE SYSTEM TO 

ANYONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT IT, AND JUST 

WANTS THAT EXTRA BIT OF REASSURANCE IN 

HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND THEIR PITCH 

PETE ASHWORTH 

So, would Pete recommend Soil Scout 

to other sports turf professionals? 

"We currently have six sensors in the pitch, of 

which four are placed in the corner of each 18- 

yard box, one in the centre spot and one in the 

corner near the tunnel. 

"We have found it very straight forward to 

install and remove the sensors whenever we have 

had to move them (end of season renovations, 

etc) and they quickly reconnect with the 

base station, which is placed at the top of our 

Invincible’s Stand. 

"We have found Soil Scout a great tool to help 

us quickly check the moisture levels and soil 

temperatures. This helps us when deciding how 

much irrigation to apply and also monitor if the 

pitch plays better or worse when moisture levels 

differ. It also gives us a good idea as to when to 

carry out routine maintenance such as vertidraining 

or pro-coring. 

"We are also hoping to build up a picture of how 

fertiliser applications respond depending on the 

soil temperature, therefore allowing us to put the 

right product on at the right time. 

"I would highly recommend the system to 

anyone who is thinking about it, and just wants 

that extra bit of reassurance in helping them 

understand their pitch." 



SOIL SCOUT 

Newsdesk 

Two 

depths 

in one 

hole 

GROUND-BREAKING 

NEW DUAL DEPTH 

SENSOR LAUNCHED 

Soil Scout is pleased to announce 

the launch of a new sensor product 

that has been developed after taking 

feedback from numerous existing 

customers. The ground-breaking Dual 

Depth Sensor (DDS), gives the well-known Soil 

Scout Hydra sensor an additional sensing head, 

interconnected with a cable. 

Soil Scout’s Chief Science Officer, Johannes 

Tiusanen explains; “Many among the 

hundreds of Soil Scout customers have 

special requirements or limitations for their 

underground soil monitoring needs, and most 

commonly the same issues emerge more often 

than others: Burying the sensor really deep 

reduces the above-ground range, and whilst 

that could be tackled by elevating the receiver 

antenna, in some places that’s not always 

possible." 

Two depths in one hole 

“In addition, many customers would like 

to bury sensors at two depths in one hole for 

vertical soil profiling, but that hasn't been 

possible either, as the top sensor would hinder 

radio communication for the deeper one.” 

To tackle these problems, Soil Scout’s Chief 

Technology Officer Jussi Sirkia and his team have 

developed the Dual Depth Sensor, a first for Soil 

Scout who continue to proudly lead the way for 

wireless soil monitoring technology. 

The master Hydra sensor takes care of all radio 

communication, just like before. It can be buried 

in shallow ground to give an excellent range, 

whilst querying subsoil data from the second 

sensor, deep down in the same hole. 

The classic Soil Scout Hydra delivers the most 

undisturbed measurement without poles or wires 

conducting water to the measurement point 

and up to 20 years of continuous measurements 

unaffected by above ground actions. In sports 

turf maintenance it has quickly become the 

market leading solution. 

Market leading solution 

Johannes continued: “In agriculture, 

monitoring root zone conditions of deep rooted, 

tall crops, such as corn and sugar cane, has been 

limited to very short ranges regarding the aboveground 

range from sensor to receiver." 

“Now with the transmitting device buried 

in the topsoil and the second very deep 

measurement point connected through a cable, 

the guaranteed wireless range is back up to 

hundreds of metres, still without any wires 

hampering field work above ground.” 

Jalmari Talola, Soil Scout CEO added: "Our 

customers have been asking for this kind of a 

product for some time now and we are very 

happy to finally make it available. This really is 

a solution to their various needs in all different 

segments. In agriculture we now enable the 

monitoring of deep rooted crops, in sports 

and golf let customers do vertical profiling to 

optimise their use of inputs and prevent fertiliser 

leaching, and those in landscaping finally have a 

single product that fits to all of their monitoring 

needs." 



SOIL SCOUT 

Newsdesk 

CHRISTIAN 

WALTER JOINS 

SOIL SCOUT 

Soil Scout are pleased to announce the immediate 

appointment of Christian Walter to the position of Sales 

Executive for the United States. 

Christian joins the team at an exciting 

time and his appointment has been 

made to strengthen Soil Scout’s 

growing North American presence. 

To many existing Soil Scout users 

Christian will be a familiar face as he has joined 

the company following a spell working for 

distribution partner WorldSports USA. 

Christian will oversee the company’s North 

and Central American operations and work 

closely with Soil Scout’s partners, 

SubAir Systems, GreenSight and 

WorldSports USA as well as 

identifying new opportunities 

in the sports turf and 

agricultural sectors. 

Graduating from the 

University of Tampa in 2019, 

Christian is a professional 

individual who boasts excellent 

sales and management skills. 

Growing up with a passion for 

working on golf courses, Christian 

mowed his first green at the age 

of just ten and said: “As I grew, my 

love for the game of golf began 

to grow into a love for turf 

and all other aspects of turf 

management. 

“I have had the 

opportunity to work 

in numerous 

positions 

on golf 

courses, 

which has allowed me to grow my network all 

across the USA.” 

Christian added; “I’m really looking forward to 

being able to make a difference and help sports 

turf professionals and growers better manage 

their property with the Soil Scout technology. 

I have had first-hand experience of seeing how 

many different variables and techniques go 

into managing turf and plant health. The Soil 

Scout solution allows for a deeper insight into 

something that has not yet been fully explored. 

“I believe Soil Scout will make a huge impact 

in the USA in a number of ways; from assisting 

in agriculture and turf management to helping 

our vast number of parks and recreational areas 

monitor water usage in a critical time for the 

USA.” 

Jalmari Talola, CEO of Soil Scout said of 

the new appointment; “It’s no secret that we 

have been looking to employ a Sales Executive 

in North America for a while now and the 

recruitment process has been extensive. We 

are delighted to have been able to appoint 

such an impressive candidate as Christian. It’s 

a real bonus that he has already had first-hand 

experience of selling and installing the Soil Scout 

system, current and future clients will find that a 

real advantage. 

Christian is someone with a lot of energy and 

he’s proven to be very passionate and hands 

on when it comes to our system. We know he 

will offer clients the very best customer service 

and attention to detail. We are looking forward 

to him developing new and existing customer 

relationships.” 

Contact Christian 

christian.walter@soilscout.com 



SPECIAL 

Feature 

HELPING TECH 

HUNGRY 

FARMERS 

How a Finnish institute is helping farmers make better use of data. 

By Mike Abram 

Hannu Haapala 

Leader of the Smart Bioeconomy team at the 

JAMK Institute of Bioeconomy 

Finnish farmers – like many around the 

world – are technology freaks, perhaps 

even buying more that they can 

afford, according to Hannu Haapala, 

principal researcher and leader of the 

Smart Bioeconomy team at the JAMK Institute of 

Bioeconomy in Tarvaala in Finland. 

But helping them make most use of it is still an 

ongoing challenge, he says. 

Typical technologies on farms, or accessible 

through contractors, includes GPS technology 

that allows machines to drive in straight lines or 

to pre-determined routes in fields, and on / off 

functionality for tasks such as spraying. 

“More than 50% of new tractors are now 

sold with a capability for navigation and driver 

assisted systems,” he estimates. 

Adopting new technology 

Yield mapping on combines is also popular, 

while some growers are also tailoring application 

rates of fertiliser and, less commonly, seed to 

selected parameters in field, such as soil type. 

Adopting these and other new technologies 

are crucial to power transitions to more 

environmentally friendly farming, Hannu says, 

which is why in 2021 the Smart Bioeconomy 

research team was founded at JAMK Institute of 

Bioeconomy. 

The aim is to help speed up adoption of smart 

farming and related digital technologies on 

farms, Hannu explains. 

“There’s a lot of basic research carried out by 

academics, but much less is concentrated on near 

to market technologies and their adoption, which 

is the focal point of my team.” 

New smart farming techniques 

The team works closely with farmers to reflect 

their needs for technology on farm with the aim 

of making products more usable and adaptable. 

A key resource at the Institute is a 100ha 

research farm growing grain crops, such as 

barley, oats and rye, as well as grass and 

forage for cattle. It forms part of the Finnish 

AgriHubi and the European Smartagrihubs.eu 

network, and helps connect farmers, companies, 

researchers, developers, students and educators 

within the food chain and bioeconomy. 

Around 10ha of the farm is being used as a test 

bed for new smart farming techniques, with the 

use of Soil Scout sensors playing a central role in 



providing information, says Hannu. 

“We bought 20 Soil Scout sensors to install on 

the research farm with the aim of providing basic 

information on soil moisture and temperature 

for our Farm Management Information System 

(FMIS). This data can be used to help calculate 

requirements for variable rate applications, for 

example.” 

Management zones 

Sensors have been installed in each of eight 

different management zones at two different 

depths in one field, while another four sensors 

have been installed on a second field. 

The management zones are based on data 

gathered through soil sampling, satellite and 

drone imagery, and yield maps. 

“We use all of this information to decide on the 

boundaries for the management zones.” 

How to make use of that and other sources of 

data as easy as possible for farmers is one of the 

key projects Hannu’s team is working on. 

There is a need for farmers across the 

European Union to have open access to their 

data, but not be dependent on any one company 

to access it, and able to freely move to other 

software providers, he explains. Under the 

new EU Data Act in future no company will be 

allowed to use a farmer’s data without their 

agreement. 

The Smart Bioeconomy team is developing 

a simple farm database to store and visualise 

basic data, such as that collected via Soil Scout. 

By then connecting it to any farm management 

information system, the team hopes to make 

it easy for any farmer to use the data more 

effectively. 

Another development requirement is 

integrating the basic data better into usable 

models to facilitate better decision making, 

Hannu says. “Situational awareness is crucial, 

but can we develop guidelines to help the farmer 

to make decisions?” 

Evidence for guidance 

For example, if one of the management zones 

during the season is performing better or worse 

than the others, does that mean more or less 

fertiliser should be applied, he asks. “But you 

must know what the reaction of the soil in this 

situation is.” 

That’s where he hopes the data from Soil Scout 

sensors and other sources will be able to help, by 

providing the evidence for the development of 

such guidance and decision support. 

Technology will never be able to make the 

decision alone, he stresses. “It’s helping with 

optimisation of data, but you will always need 

some background information, such as prices of 

inputs, and the experience of the farmer.” 

Collaboration - central to success 

Another way the Smart Bioeconomy team is helping to develop new Smart Farming teams is through 

collaborations. “Our strategy is to develop through networking – it’s not possible to work alone now.” 

As well as working with AgriHubi – the national network of agricultural researchers and practitioners in Finland 

– they have also joined the Nordic Testbed Network. 

“Our motivation is to work with companies – we want to help those that are close or have just entered the 

market to establish themselves and have a bigger impact.” 

That’s why a business accelerator has been integrated into the Smart Bioeconomy concept, Hannu says. 

“The idea is to make the business happen. We’ve been doing a lot of hackathons, which has been a small scale 

success in integrating larger companies with start-ups, and creating some action subsequently. 

“For instance, Valtra, the tractor manufacturer found a couple of valuable contacts through one of our 

hackathons to make use of their tractor data.” 

“It is one way we would like to work more, as we get companies together with us and the benefits are quite 

rapid – within months.” 



SOIL SCOUT 

Newsdesk 

TURF TEC LIVE 

RETURNS TO 

BRENTFORD FC 

Following on from the huge success of 

the inaugural Turf Tec Live seminars 

that Turf Lighting Solutions (TLS) and 

Soil Scout held around the UK in early 

2022 we are pleased to announce a 

new and free to attend Turf Tec Live seminar at 

the Gtech Community stadium in Brentford on 

Tuesday 15 November 2022. 

The seminar will once again include 

informative and educational presentations from 

hosts TLS, Soil Scout and Turfpal with special 

industry experts also appearing on the day. 

Attendees will get the opportunity to get 

hands-on with the latest TLS lighting rig 

technology whilst also learning more about how 

soil monitoring sensors from Soil Scout can 

help you reduce operational costs and water 

consumption. There will also be an opportunity 

to have a first-look in the UK at Soil Scout’s new 

Dual Depth sensor (DDS). 

Greg Collins, Business Development 

Manager from online monitoring, control and 

management portal Turfpal will show you how 

you can gain full control of your sports turfs by 

collecting data from several different sources 

including sensors and weather stations. 

Mark Sinnett, Business Development Director 

of TLS said; “It’s a perfect time for sports turf 

professionals to gather and learn about the 

latest technology and products that some of the 

industry's leading companies have to offer to 

ensure your turf is in the best playing condition 

possible. As well as hosting events in the UK we 

are also pleased to announce that we are looking 

at various other locations across Europe so be 

sure to keep an eye out for more information 

coming soon.” 

Soil Scout’s Sales and Sports Turf Specialist, 

Nick Durkin added; “The seminars provide a 

great opportunity for participants to chat with 

suppliers in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. 

It’s also great to meet up with like-minded sports 

turf professionals and share ideas, working 

practices and learn from each other.” 

If you are interested in attending one of the 

upcoming free seminars, please send an email 

to post@ra-tls.com and we will get back to you 

with further details. Alternatively, come and 

meet the TLS, Turfpal and Soil Scout team on 

stand number H081 at SALTEX on Wednesday 2 

or Thursday 3 November at Birmingham’s NEC 

and register your interest in attending Turf Tec 

Live. 



Meet the Soil Scout team 

THE UNDERGROUND SOIL DATA FAMILY 

Nick Durkin 

Sales & Sports Turf Specialist 

nick.durkin@soilscout.com 

Mobile: +44 7538 301753 (UK) 

Tommi Tienhaara 

Sales Executive 

tommi.tienhaara@soilscout.com 

Mobile: +358 40 5001792 (Finland) 

Jalmari Talola 

CEO 

jalmari.talola@soilscout.com 

Mobile: +358 40 820 1709 (Finland) 

Christian Walter 

Sales Executive 

christian.walter@soilscout.com 

Mobile: +1 (513) 348 8839 (United States) 

Lily Nuttall 

Agriculture Sales Specialist 

lily.nuttall@soilscout.com 

Mobile: +44 7860 833710 (UK) 

Johannes Tiusanen 

Chief Science Officer 

johannes.tiusanen@soilscout.com 


Miiro Jääskeläinen 

Underground Weatherman / Agronomist 

miiro.jaaskelainen@soilscout.com 


Jussi Sirkiä 

Chief Technology Officer 

jussi.sirkia@soilscout.com 


Bahman Doaeian 

Regional Growth Manager 

bahman.doaeian@soilscout.com 


Heikki Huhtanen 

Software Developer 

heikki.huhtanen@soilscout.com 


Ville Oksanen 

Business Controller 

ville.oksanen@soilscout.com 

Jussi Uusitalo 

Production Master 

jussi.uusitalo@soilscout.com 



SOIL SCOUT 

Technical 

FAQ 

Soil Scout's Chief Science Officer, Johannes Tiusanen answers your 

most frequently asked questions. You can find more FAQ's 

on the Soil Scout website at: www.soilscout.com/faq 

QUESTION 

Who owns the data? 

You own data for internal use, but sharing with others than your subcontractors needs our approval. 

We trust in open architecture systems and everyone should have the right to build their own combination of hard 

and software for their own needs. This is why our open API is an essential part of our solution - when you have 

data, you also have access to it. 

However, there's a few additional points regarding Soil Scout data usage: 

1. We want to allow customers to utilise the data in any way they want at the site, horizontally with other systems 

and downstream 

2. However, we want to keep control of the data upstream from the site to entities who may aggregate data from 

different sites and make business on such data 

3. We wouldn’t necessarily forbid such use of the data, but must evaluate each case, because our data might get 

sold to our competitors or their close partners 

These thoughts are reflected in our General Terms and Conditions: 

10.1 Subject to the payment of subscription fees [...] the Customer may freely use the Soil Data generated by the 

Services during the term of this agreement for Customers’ internal agronomist and/or other soil related 

business purposes. 

10.2 Customer shall not,without Soil Scout’s prior written approval, transfer, sell, license, borrow or make available 

Soil Data to third parties. Notwithstanding the aforesaid, Customer may make Soil Data available to its 

authorised subcontractors during the validity of the Agreement solely for the Customer’s internal business 

purposes. [...] 

Founding Father 

By Johannes Tiusanen 

Chief Science Officer 



DATA IS HIGHLY IMPORTANT TO ME, AND EVERY 

GROUNDSMAN YOU SPEAK TO WILL SAY THE 

MORE DATA YOU CAN GET THE MORE INSIGHT 

YOU HAVE INTO YOUR PITCH. 

STEVE HONEY 

GROUNDS MANAGER, BRENTFORD FC 



REAL-TIME GAINS 

BEGIN UNDERGROUND 

What drew me to Soil Scout 

is the live data you get every 

20 minutes. Having that at 

your fingertips is unique in the 

industry. 

I also think it’s quite nice to 

feel like you’re in control. So 

when you’re at home and going 

through a dry spell, for peace 

of mind, it’s great. 

There can be times when 

the greens are drying out or 

getting too wet, and being able 

to check that takes a lot of 

pressure off you. 

John McLoughlin 

Course Manager, 

Wallasey Golf Club 

Soil Scout provides the most advanced 

underground real-time wireless soil 

sensor and monitoring solution for 

professionals working in golf and 

sports turf maintenance. 

sales@soilscout.com | www.soilscout.com

Soil Scout Sensor Issue 6

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