Project Neolith

Background

Last summer, I lived and worked in Malmö, located in Skåne, the southernmost region of Sweden, known for its open landscapes, warmer climate, and fertile soils, making it the heart of Swedish agriculture. The spring of 2023 was very dry, and the summer turned out to be exceptionally rainy and wet, which severely impacted farmers and made constant news headlines. In fact, the 2023 harvest was the worst in 30 years in Sweden. During this time, I was contemplating my master’s degree project topic, which I knew I wanted to be climate related. Witnessing the challenges faced by the farmers in Skåne convinced me that this was the direction I should pursue.

Agriculture, forestry, and other land use account for approximately 22% of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with half of that being on-farm emissions. At the same time, agriculture is one of the sectors most affected by climate change. Agriculture is not just relevant for society; it is vital for society. With climate change already impacting today’s agriculture, it is clear that a master’s degree project aiming to deliver a concept for positive change is well-motivated.

Method

During this project I was eager to get to know the user, the farmer, on a deeper and personal level to get a first-hand understanding of who they are and what they need. The main bulk of my research revolved around a qualitative field-trip to Västergötland, in southwestern Sweden, where I visited 5 different stakeholders; three farms, one soil laboratory and one soil sampling expert. In combination with this I also interviewed experts around nitrogen and nitrogen sensors. Since I had the ambition to spend a lot of time on the product’s physical nature and its aesthetics, I had a direct and efficient process early on. This gave me time to bridge functional and aesthetical aspects into a seamless and singular design with a clear purpose.

Result

The future of farming revolves around the right input (e.g. fertilizers) at the right place at the right time. My master’s degree concept, The Neolith Spear, addresses this need. It is an all-in-one, data-gathering device designed to make farming more sustainable and resilient to the effects of climate change. The device is placed in a field to measure various values both above ground on the crops and below ground in the soil. This data is then sent to a mobile device, allowing farmers to develop a more efficient, optimized, and economical farming strategy.  

Artificial nitrogen fertilizers require a huge amount of energy to produce, and overfertilization can severely impact nearby waters. The Neolith Spear can, for example, measure naturally occurring nitrogen levels in the soil so that farmers know exactly how much nitrogen to add, avoiding overfertilization and unnecessary expenses. The spear can remain in the soil throughout the growing season to monitor the quality and health of the crops and the roots. With an ergonomic handle attachment, the spear is also suitable for taking multiple soil samples across the entire field, for updating soil maps, or conducting spontaneous sampling after heavy rainfalls for example.