Grain grower and farming influencer Farmer Tõnis is using Paul-Tech’s real-time soil station to manage his fields with greater precision. His journey offers valuable lessons for any farmer who wants to optimise fertiliser use, reduce losses, and make better decisions based on what’s happening below the surface — not just above it.
Tõnis has tested the soil station across different field conditions: from fast-draining soils prone to nutrient leaching, to heavier soils with high moisture levels, and areas where long-term soil improvement is a priority. While the soil types and crop setups vary, one thing has remained constant — live data has given him a clear advantage.
What Happened Below the Surface
During the 2024/25 season, early autumn rains saturated the topsoil within days. The soil station showed that water, along with nutrients, quickly moved into deeper layers — well beyond the reach of young roots. From the surface, everything seemed fine, but underground, nutrients were already slipping away. Without this insight, he might have assumed a lack of growth was due to variety or timing, not leaching.
Winter brought new challenges. In periods without snow cover, the station recorded sharp drops in soil electrical conductivity — a sign of deep freezing. In fact, freezing was detected down to 20 centimetres. These events didn’t harm the crop this time, but they served as a reminder: while air temperature is visible, soil conditions are often hidden — and can be critical for winter survival.
Spring began with a short warm period, triggering the first nitrogen application. However, a sudden cold snap followed, delaying plant uptake. The soil station captured this delay in real time — nutrients lingered in the soil longer than expected. When milder weather returned in April and rain reactivated biological processes, nutrients began moving again. But instead of causing nitrate spikes on the graph, the fertiliser was absorbed smoothly, showing that the crop was actively taking it up.
This pattern repeated throughout the season. Later fertiliser applications were guided by real-time conditions, not fixed dates. When the data showed favourable soil temperature and moisture, fertiliser was applied — and quickly disappeared from the soil profile. Not because it leached, but because it was used efficiently by the crop. No large peaks, just steady uptake. That, in Tõnis’s words, is the beauty of smart farming.
Making the Right Moves at the Right Time
On wetter soils, the station proved equally useful. It issued automatic alerts about poor trafficability, helping avoid soil compaction and structural damage. Nutrient availability remained stable throughout spring, and thanks to well-timed applications before rainfall, fertiliser dissolved and moved to root depth without building up in the soil. This meant the crop had access to everything it needed, when it needed it, without overfeeding or waste.
On other fields, Tõnis has focused on soil improvement through cover crops, legumes, and organic fertilisers. The soil station confirmed that these practices worked. Nutrients didn’t wash away during autumn and winter, because cover crop roots held them in place. In spring, natural mineralisation released nitrogen gradually, supporting early growth even before external inputs were added. By the time manure and other fertilisers were applied, the soil was already functioning as a slow-release nutrient bank.
A Stable System with Strong Results
What makes this story remarkable is not the dramatic spikes on a graph, but the absence of them. Steady nutrient levels, closely aligned with plant development, meant that nothing was wasted, leached, or mistimed. Each fertiliser round was purposeful, guided by actual plant need and soil behaviour.
For Tõnis, the biggest win wasn’t just higher yield potential — although some of his fields now show record-breaking promise. It was the confidence of knowing that he wasn’t overapplying, wasn’t damaging the soil, and wasn’t sending valuable nutrients into the ditch. Instead, his roots were quietly working, his wheat stood strong, and his management was backed by data rather than guesswork.
What he’s learned is simple: when you can see how your soil behaves day by day — whether it’s too cold, too dry, or too wet — you can make the right decisions at the right time. Smart farming isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing better. And that starts by letting the soil speak — and listening.