Soil testing is essential for maintaining healthy, productive land. A few students of 8th grade arrived at OES children farm to understand soil composition, nutrient levels, pH balance, and other important elements found in soil.
The students started interacting with the farm supervisor Nagaraj Bhukya and enquired lot of farming related quires such as quantity of fertilisers used in a particular piece of land, how frequently fertilisers are used, what type of crops are cultivated etc. They also interacted with Pentaiah who is a farmer with 50 years of experience and understood traditional methods of farming from him.
Traditionally, soil testing equipment has relied on electricity from non-renewable sources. So the group of student has led an innovation in transforming soil testing through the integration of renewable energy, creating solutions that are cost-effective, environmental friendly and easily accessible.
Why Soil Testing Matters
Understanding soil health is critical for sustainable agriculture. Soil tests provide insight into the levels of essential nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as pH levels, moisture content, and organic matter. With this information, farmers can optimize crop yields, prevent nutrient deficiencies, and use fertilizers more efficiently, which reduces environmental impact and operational costs.
For farmers in remote areas, soil testing is often inaccessible due to a lack of power sources and transportation limitations. Renewable energy-based soil testing equipment developed by students aims to bridge this gap by providing reliable, portable, and sustainable solutions.
Benefits of Renewable Energy-Powered Soil Testing Equipment
The renewable energy-powered soil testing equipment developed by students are lightweight, easy to operate, low cost, compact, easy to transport, and can operate independently in areas where electricity is not readily available. Solar panels charge the equipment during the day, enabling farmers to use it even at night.
The soil-testing device consists of solar panels, Arduino controller, NPK sensor, PH sensor, LCD, jumper wires and a software application which can be easily downloaded in a phone. Once the sensors are placed in the soil the nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus can be measured with NPK sensor and aluminium, calcium, iron, iodine, magnesium can be measured with PH sensor. It also helps to calculate all the parameters required for one particular crop and accordingly a farmer can use the amount of fertilizers required for that particular crop.
The development of renewable energy-powered soil testing apparatus by the students is a revolutionary step in the direction of sustainable agriculture. With the use of solar energy, the farmers can do effective soil testing. With such initiative the younger generation can create a more calibrated approach to cultivation, yield productivity and sustainable agriculture practices in the future.
Organo Et School strives to empower people to embrace eco-living mindsets, behaviors, and habits. We recognize that for any positive impact to be sustainable, it must be long-term and inter-generational.
Organo Et School is a learning initiative set up by Organo in 2017 and has been facilitating field visits and workshops for Schools and Interest Groups. Organo Et School has had over 25+ schools, 8000+ students, and 3000+ adults participate over the last 5 years.
You can find our upcoming workshops here → https://www.organoetschool.co.in/registration
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