IIT Bombay scientists develop Nutrisen, a technique to advance soil testing

Rajul Patkar and Mukul Singh, two scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, invented a groundbreaking technology that allows farmers to rapidly analyze the condition of their soil using a simple, portable device, Nutrisen.

Rajul was resolved to make a difference since she recognized the issues farmers had to go through. The issue of precisely evaluating soil quality, selecting the correct seeds, and ensuring fertilizer, pesticides, and water security.

Throughout the growing season, farmers work hard to secure a plentiful crop. Despite technological developments, considerable barriers still exist, whereas we, the public, may simply buy food from stores or online stores.

"We have about 140 million farmers and just 3,000 soil testing labs to cater to their needs. As a result, the majority of farmers lack access to these laboratories. Furthermore, they take an unusually lengthy time to produce reports, sometimes up to a month. This leads to the indiscriminate use of chemicals, lowering crop production and increasing input costs," Rajul said.

Rather than increasing the number of expensive and resource-intensive labs, Rajul and her colleague Mukul created Nutrisens, a portable device that makes soil testing as simple as using a glucometer.

While explaining the method to use the device, she said, "A farmer collects a small soil sample, adds a reagent, and puts it on our paper-based sensor. Within five minutes, our smartphone app delivers practical data depending on the soil type and crop.”

Rajul realized that increasing the number of soil testing labs would not be a solution because building up labs is too expensive and requires professional labor, infrastructure, and energy, which may not be available in rural areas.

This is one of the reasons why many newly established labs have closed owing to a lack of resources.

Responding to her own question, “Why couldn’t we make soil testing as simple as the glucometer that we use to check for blood sugar?" Rajul, along with Mukul, used her PhD research at IIT to develop the system that will allow farmers to evaluate soil in minutes.

"We created Nutrisens, a device that employs electrochemical technology similar to that of a glucometer but tailored for soil testing. It uses a paper-based sensor strip to measure six critical soil characteristics, Rajul said.

She continued, "A farmer must take a small scoop of farm soil, mix it with a reagent solution, and apply a drop of this soil-reagent solution to the paper sensor. Within five minutes, the mobile app we created will display the results, including actionable insights based on the kind of soil and crop."

Rajul created Nutrisens after ten years of research to assist farmers in witnessing rapid improvements in the condition of their soil.

“It is a widely held belief by experts in the agri domain that chemical testing is the most reliable one, and since our device is based on electrochemical inputs, it has become very popular with many soil experts like Shubham Durgude, a former Mahindra official; Sudipto Das from Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI); one Shekib Ahmed from a tea estate, and more,” said Rajul.

She further added that “to get an unbiased view of Nutrisens, it was validated by Tamil Nadu Agriculture University and cross-validated by many clients, such as Indorama in Uzbekistan and Dayatani in Indonesia.”

The idea intends to employ rural men and women by giving them a day's training on how to use Nutrisens and provide soil testing services to farmers in their community. Farmer producer organizations and farmer producer companies (FPCs) can also employ Nutrisens to give soil testing to their farmer groups, ensuring high-quality crops.

"Since Nutrisens is pre-calibrated and soil-independent, it can be easily scaled to any geography without the need for recalibration, unlike chemical-free optical measurement devices that rely on predictive models," Rajul said.

According to Rajul, "Nutrisens have great potential in the global soil testing market, driven by rising agricultural output and stringent soil health standards. Our approach focuses on developing strategic alliances and establishing mega distributorships to help with market entry and expansion in major markets such as North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Collaboration with local distributors, agricultural cooperatives, and research institutes will improve distribution and market penetration."

Although spectroscopy appears to be simpler and less expensive than chemical testing, experts around the world agree that chemical-based soil testing is considerably superior to chemical-free spectroscopy.

"This is because chemical-based testing includes the extraction of ions from solutions, which yields precise and consistent results. While spectroscopy lacks the accuracy and reliability needed for full soil analysis, our chemical-based method ensures thorough and precise observations. We have spent many years developing and refining our technology to meet the limitations of current soil testing methods," Rajul said.

"We recognize that traditional chemical methods are complex and time-consuming, but we have innovated to simplify these processes, effectively bringing the laboratory to the farm. "Our solution combines the robustness of chemical testing with user-friendly, efficient procedures, making it both scalable and practical for widespread use," she explained.

Rajul continued, "By studying and analyzing numerous soil testing technologies, we have designed a system that mitigates the issues faced by current approaches, resulting in a dependable and scalable solution that stands out in the worldwide market. Our dedication to accuracy and dependability distinguishes Nutrisens' chemical-based soil testing method from any other option available today."

Farmers like Chetan Dattatreya Deshmukh, a committed grape producer from Rajapur, Dindori Tehsil in Nashik, have witnessed exceptional results with Nutrisens. Prior to using the device, he suffered from delayed and inaccurate soil nutrient data, resulting in lower crop yields and probable income loss.

After including Nutrisens into his routine, he obtained rapid soil test results, allowing him to quickly diagnose nutrient deficiencies and apply the necessary fertilizers, greatly increasing grape yields and preventing substantial income loss.

Plans include developing a market presence both in India and beyond. The company also intends to expand Nutrisens' capabilities and maybe create other products to meet other agricultural demands. Ongoing research and user feedback will lead to these advances, ensuring that they suit farmers' changing needs.

Nutrisens strives to establish brand recognition and consumer trust around the world by focusing on regulatory compliance, competitive pricing, and user-friendly modern technologies.

The company is well-positioned to become a global leader in precision agriculture and sustainable farming solutions, providing dependable and scalable soil testing technologies that match the needs of a broad global market.