~ The portable soil testing device developed by IIT Kanpur is named Bhu-Parikshak ~
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It is a first-of-its-kind device that can detect soil health in just 90 seconds
~
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The device
can test upto 1 Lakh soil test samples, the highest testing capability recorded
in such devices so far ~
Kanpur, 13 December, 2021: In a first, IIT Kanpur has
developed a portable soil testing device that can detect soil health in just 90
seconds through an embedded mobile application. The rapid soil testing device
will assist individual farmers for obtaining soil health parameters of
agricultural fields with recommended dose of fertilizers. The technology titled
Portable Soil Testing Device viz. “Bhu
Parikshak” is transferred to an agritech company named AgroNxt Services
Pvt. Ltd.
This first-of-its-kind
novel invention is based on Near Infrared Spectroscopy technology that provides
real time soil analysis report on smart phones with an embedded mobile
application named Bhu Parikshak available on Google Play Store. The device can
detect six important soil parameters namely - Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium,
Organic Carbon, Clay contents, and Cation Exchange Capacity. It also recommends
the required dose of fertilizers for the field and crops. The mobile application
is made user friendly through the user interface which is available in local
languages, such that even a class 8th pass person can easily handle
the device and the mobile application. The device can test upto 1 Lakh soil
test samples, which is the highest testing capability of a soil testing device
among its predecessors.
The technology is
transferred to Agronxt with an objective of manufacturing the device through
bulk production, eventually benefiting the farmers. The technology licensing
agreement was formally signed between IIT Kanpur and AgroNxt Services on 11th
December, 2021. The MoU exchange ceremony was graced by Prof. Abhay Karandikar,
Director IIT Kanpur and Mr. Rajat Vardhan, Director AgroNxt Services. Prof.
Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, Prof. A R Harish and Mr. Ravi Pandey from IIT Kanpur also
joined the agreement signing ceremony.
Prof. Abhay Karandikar,
Director, IIT Kanpur said, “Farmers are our caretakers. But they face a lot of
hardships. One such hardship is getting their soil tested and wait for the
results for days. That will not be a hassle anymore. I am delighted for the
team from IIT Kanpur for developing such a novel device that will assist
individual farmers in assessing the health of their soil in almost no time.
This is another step towards achieving the goal of technology self-reliance
that IIT Kanpur thrives for.”
The invention is developed
by a team of inventors at IIT Kanpur, consisting of Prof. Jayant Kumar Singh
from Department of Chemical Engineering, Mr. Pallav Prince, Mr. Ashar Ahmad,
Mr. Yashasvi Khemani and Mohd. Aamir Khan. The idea for the invention arose
from the general observation of the common problem faced by farmers, wherein a
farmer has to wait upto a fortnight for getting the soil health cards from distant
district soil testing laboratories, which takes a considerable workforce and
time.
The portable &
wireless soil testing device requires a mere 5 grams of dry soil sample for
detecting macronutrients present in the soil. Once the soil is poured into the 5
cm long cylindrical shaped device, it connects itself with the mobile through
Bluetooth, and starts analyzing the soil for 90 seconds. After the analysis,
the results appear on the screen in the form of a soil health report, which is
accessible on Bhu Parikshak cloud service with unique ID. The report also comes
with a recommended dose of fertilizers.
ABOUT IIT KANPUR: Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, is one of the premier institutions set up by the Government of India. Registered in 1959, the institute was assisted by nine leading institutions of the U.S.A in the setting up of its academic programs and laboratories during the period 1962-72. With its record of path-breaking innovations and cutting-edge research, the institute is known the world over as a learning centre of repute in engineering, science, and several interdisciplinary areas. In addition to formal undergraduate and postgraduate courses, the institute has been active in research and development in areas of value to both industry and government. For more information, visit www.iitk.ac.in
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