Issue Reading the living fraction of soil at scale

Summary

Soil is a non-renewable resource whose microbiota of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms hold up to half of Earth's biodiversity and are vital for farming. About 95% of the global food supply depends on healthy soil function, yet research indicates that 60 to 70% of soil in the European Union is degraded. Traditional methods could identify only about 1% of soil microbiota. Soil assessment has moved from watching crop growth to physico-chemical testing and now to identifying living organisms, and robotic sensors can capture thousands of high-resolution images for AI to map healthy fungal networks. Eventually, AI-enhanced microscopy could analyse an entire soil ecosystem within hours of sampling, enabling faster detection and deeper understanding of degradation.