Automated soil sensor probe with a UTV mounted skid

The USDA Agricultural Research Service is soliciting quotations for an automated soil sensor probe with a UTV-mounted skid under solicitation number 1232SA26Q0142. This commercial item procurement requires the probe to measure four primary parameters simultaneously—soil organic matter or total soil carbon, soil penetration resistance, bulk soil apparent electrical conductivity, and soil dielectric permittivity for water content determination—with data collection occurring instantaneously as the instrument travels across fields. The probe must be capable of measuring soil carbon content to a depth of at least 12 inches with geo-referenced data points, support flexible mounting on light to heavy-duty vehicles, and include data logging, download, and processing capabilities compatible with commercial software packages. Award will be made to the offeror submitting the lowest price technically acceptable offer with acceptable or neutral past performance, with technical acceptability requiring an overall rating of "acceptable" based on the offeror's ability to provide a sound, compliant approach meeting all requirements. Critical deadlines include February 12, 2026, at 12:00 PM Central Time for submission of questions, and February 17, 2026, for quotation submission; offerors must maintain price firmness for 90 calendar days from the receipt date.

This procurement carries no set-aside designation and is unrestricted, allowing all responsible sources meeting the NAICS code 333111 (Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing) requirements to compete. No incumbent contractor or budget range has been identified in the solicitation documents. The government intends to make one award for a single unit of the automated soil sensor probe with UTV-mounted skid. Delivery is required F.O.B. destination to the Genetics & Sustainable Agriculture Research Unit, Crop Science Research Lab, USDA ARS, 150 Twelve Lane, Mississippi State, MS 39762. All quotations must be submitted electronically in Adobe PDF format and include a completed Quote Submission Form, active SAM.gov registration, and supporting documentation demonstrating how the quoted product meets or exceeds minimum salient characteristics.