Veris Technologies has launched its on-the-go soil sensor platform, the Veris U3, that uses three sensors to create what it calls affordable, high-resolution soil pH, organic matter and soil texture (electrical conductivity) maps behind a utility vehicle.

In the media release launching the new product, Eric Lund, president, Veris Technologies says: "Growers and their advisers have been asking us to develop a sensor platform that makes the best soil maps possible, and they wanted that platform pulled by a UTV. We're excited to provide a solution that requires a lower total investment and greatly expands the mapping window."

The new Veris U3 can be pulled by a utility vehicle and capture key soil information for your farm.

The system is designed for speed and simplicity while maintaining the precision expected of their on-the-go sensors. The reduced horsepower and hydraulic requirements of the new unit allow it to be pulled by a utility vehicle. Low draft from the platform also contributes to fast field coverage, which can reach 400 acres per day.

The platform uses electrical, infrared and electro-chemical sensors to collect data on three different key soil characteristics:

• To measure pH, the SpeedRead pH module is programmed to sense the UTV slowing and stopping. The system used proprietary ion-selective electrodes that take a subsurface reading for the soil pH in 8 to 10 seconds. This speed allows mappers to create pH maps and lime prescriptions with up to four times the resolution of a 2.5 acre grid at a lower cost, the company reports.

• A new sensor called the iScan houses an infrared soil optical sensor used to map organic matter. This dual-wavelength color measurement below the surface determines difference in organic matter levels.

• An electrical conductivity disk array investigates deep into the rooting zone to determine components of productivity like soil texture, water-holding capacity and rooting depth.

Learn more about this new tool at veristech.com.