The water present in the soil, in the biomass and in the snow represents extremely sensitive data for various sectors. Monitoring soil moisture is crucial in agriculture to irrigate efficiently, save water and costs, and obtain a healthier and more abundant harvest. The snow water equivalent (water content in the snow pack) is a crucial parameter for water availability forecasting for spring/summer. FINAPP’s Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensing (CRNS) probes are novel, next-generation, water-content estimators with a broad range of applications. They detect the neutrons generated from the interaction of cosmic rays with the Earth atmosphere and water surfaces, and from those measurements, they estimate the water content. All probes are connected to an AI-based, IoT cloud that provides the data in real-time via a user interface, and estimates specific factors for each of the applications in the different industries (e.g., plants/crops health, fire risk).
Project ID
Funding period
1 August 2023 - 31 July 2025Total budget
EU contribution
Funding programme
Call for proposals
Type of action
Type of stakeholder
Project contribution to Mission Soil’s:
Specific objectives
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1. Reduce land degradation relating to desertification
Not targeted -
2. Conserve and increase soil organic carbon stocks
Not targeted -
3. No net soil sealing and increase the reuse of urban soils
Not targeted -
4. Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration
Not targeted -
5. Prevent erosion
Not targeted -
6. Improve soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops
Partially targeted -
7. Reduce the EU global footprint on soils
Not targeted -
8. Increase soil literacy in society across Member States
Not targeted
Operational objectives
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1. Build capacities and the knowledge base for soil stewardship
Targeted
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2. Co-create and upscale place-based innovations to improve soil health in all places
Partially targeted
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3. Develop an integrated EU soil monitoring system and track progress towards soil health
Not targeted
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4. Engage with the soil user community and society at large
Not targeted
Innovation hotspots
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1. Carbon farming
Not targeted
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2. Soil pollution and restoration
Not targeted
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3. Soil biodiversity including the microbiome
Not targeted
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4. Circular economy solutions
Not targeted
Cross-cutting dimensions
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1. Business
Not targeted
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2. Digital
Targeted
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3. Territorial
Not targeted
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4. International
Not targeted
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