‘We can tell farmers the problems’: experts say seismic waves can check soil health and boost yields

A farm in South Africa. Farmers currently rely on broad interventions such as tilling the whole field, which can harm wildlife and soil health. Photograph: Malan Louw/Alamy

A groundbreaking soil-health measuring technique could help avert famine and drought, scientists have said.

At the moment, scientists have to dig lots of holes to study the soil, which is time-consuming and damages its structure, making the sampling less accurate.