Muju Earth’s Aeropod aims to cut soil tilling costs

Muju Earth Technologies has developed the Aeropod, a small device designed to aerate soil without machinery or robotics. Farmers place it in the ground alongside seeds using the same equipment, with no need to till the soil first.

Co-founder and CEO Ifeoluwa Afolayan told TechCrunch that the device opens when exposed to a combination of temperature, pressure and moisture. It loosens soil and creates small channels for air, water and roots. Afolayan said the company aims to improve soil health while cutting tilling costs by half or more.

The startup has tested the devices in laboratories and is beginning paid field trials in the UK this fall. Nine farmers are participating, and more than 30 are on a waitlist. Muju Earth’s initial target market is UK onion growers, whose crops Afolayan said are particularly sensitive to soil compaction.

Afolayan estimated that tilling a field can cost around £250 to £400 per hectare, including labor, diesel and equipment wear. She said Aeropods should produce similar results for £100 per hectare. Studies have estimated that soil compaction can reduce yields by 20% to 60%.

Muju Earth is among 200 startups in this year’s TechCrunch Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco in October. Twenty finalists will present on the main stage. The Aeropod was developed by Afolayan and co-founder Wangyang Hu while they were at Imperial College London.