Questions & Answers

Paul-Tech is a science-based agricultural platform that helps farmers and agronomists monitor soil conditions in real time and make more accurate daily decisions based on actual soil data.

Paul-Tech is designed for arable farmers, agronomists, and agricultural businesses that want a better understanding of what is happening in the soil and want to manage fertiliser use and crop production in a data-driven way.

Yes. Paul-Tech is suitable for both larger and smaller growers. What matters is not the size of the business, but the willingness to make better-informed decisions based on the soil’s actual condition and reduce guesswork in everyday fieldwork.

Paul-Tech is suitable for most agricultural crops where it is important to understand moisture, temperature, and nutrient dynamics in the root zone. It is particularly valuable for crops where the timing of fertiliser and spray applications has a major impact on yield and cost efficiency.

Paul-Tech soil stations are installed directly in the field, where they collect soil data around the clock. The data is automatically transmitted to the Paul-Tech platform, where it is visualised and interpreted to support practical decisions in the field.

Paul-Tech collects real-time soil data through soil stations installed in the field and displays it on a digital platform. The soil station measures soil moisture, soil temperature, and electrical conductivity-based indicators, which allow nutrient dynamics in the root zone to be assessed, including nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻).
This makes it possible to track how nitrogen responds to fertiliser applications, rainfall, and plant uptake, and to evaluate fertiliser use efficiency throughout the growing season.

Yes. Because nitrogen is a very dynamic nutrient, we have developed a method to model nitrogen from the overall nutrient baseline.

Traditional soil analysis provides a snapshot of the soil’s condition at a single point in time.
Paul-Tech does not replace soil tests, but complements them by showing how soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient dynamics change over time. This helps you understand what happens in the periods between soil tests and how different factors—such as rainfall or fertiliser applications—affect soil conditions.

A weather station measures conditions in the air, whereas Paul-Tech is a soil station focused on the soil’s actual condition in the root zone. Paul-Tech measures soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient dynamics, and also displays air data, rainfall, and wind for that specific field.
A key difference is that the Paul-Tech station is located directly in the field, within the crop and at canopy height, rather than at the standard 2-metre height.
For example, during summer frosts a conventional weather station at 2 metres may not show sub-zero temperatures, while the Paul-Tech station can detect cold at crop height—where it can actually impact yield.

Paul-Tech is built on multiple generations of research into soil processes and nutrient behaviour. The technology has been developed in collaboration with soil scientists and focuses on making complex soil processes understandable and practically useful for farmers.

Real-time soil data reduces guesswork and shows what is actually happening in the soil. It supports more accurate, better-timed fertiliser decisions, helps you respond to changing weather and growing conditions, and supports risk management during challenging seasons.

In practice, you can start benefiting immediately—once you begin making decisions based on the data.

One season provides an initial overview, but Paul-Tech’s true value becomes clear when comparing data across multiple seasons. Years, crops, and weather conditions differ, and the data accumulated over time helps reveal patterns, assess the impact of decisions, and make more accurate choices in the future.

In difficult years, correct timing and risk management are even more important. Paul-Tech helps you understand when conditions are not suitable for crops or field operations and avoid decisions that could worsen the situation or increase costs.

This depends on the crops you grow and the specifics of your fields. We recommend monitoring different crops or field areas where moisture, temperature, and nutrient dynamics may vary.
As a general principle, one soil station is recommended per homogeneous field. Before installation, we carry out a field assessment to evaluate soil uniformity and choose a location that represents the field’s average condition as accurately as possible.

The soil station is installed in a homogeneous part of the field that represents its average condition. This approach is similar to traditional soil sampling, but unlike a sample, Paul-Tech provides a continuous time series that lets you track changes throughout the season rather than at a single moment.

No. Paul-Tech does not require you to constantly watch graphs or analyse data on your own. The system provides automated recommendations and notifications to support decisions without needing daily deep analysis.

This is exactly when Paul-Tech is most useful. Real-time data helps you understand how drought, excess moisture, or low temperatures affect soil conditions and crop nutrition, and when it makes sense to delay or reassess field operations.

A soil station installed mid-season still provides valuable insight into the soil’s current condition and how it changes going forward. Even if earlier reference data is missing, the available data can be used to assess nutrient levels, moisture, and upcoming risks and to make better-informed decisions in the second half of the season. The key is to start tracking the data from that point onwards.

This depends on several factors: how many hectares you farm, whether your soils are similar or vary, whether your fields are close together or spread across different areas.

Indicative costs:

• up to 500 ha – 2–4 stations – €2,890–€5,500 (approx. €6–€11/ha)
• up to 1,000 ha – 6 stations – €7,400 (approx. €7/ha)

Important processes take place in the soil during autumn and winter, such as freezing, thawing, and nutrient movement. This data helps assess whether nutrients present in the soil in autumn will still be available in spring, and helps plan the timing and scale of spring operations. The current minimum contract length is 12 months.

At the moment, this feature is not available in our product.