After developing Dr. Chashi, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based digital system that detects and solves crop disease and pest problems, Genius Farms Limited has introduced another home-grown innovation: the "GFL Soil Sensor", which analyses soil using Internet of Things (IoT) technology and gives location-based, real-time fertiliser recommendations.

Bangladesh's farming has long relied on nature, experience and traditional knowledge, with farmers judging soil by experience. Raising output, cutting costs and protecting the environment now demand science-based, data-driven farming, and the digital soil sensor opens a new door.

The IoT device quickly analyses key soil properties and tells the farmer:

• nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium;
• pH;
• soil moisture and temperature;
• electrical conductivity and salinity.

With this information farmers know which fertiliser their land needs and how much, avoiding the over- or under-application that comes from guesswork.

The sensor is linked to a digital platform through IoT, so data collected in a specific field is analysed immediately by software and delivered to the farmer. A farmer inserts the probe into the soil and gets data within minutes; the software then recommends fertiliser. Timely, data-based decisions reduce fertiliser waste and costs and raise yields.

Its software, "Soil Tester", was built using Bangladesh's own soil, fertiliser and crop data. Many sensors worldwide use universal foreign data that may not suit Bangladeshi soils; using local data gives more accurate results, which the writer calls an important innovation in the country's agricultural technology.

• **Soil health:** applying fertiliser only as needed curbs the excessive chemical use that is reducing natural fertility, lowering pollution and making farming more sustainable.
• **Safer food:** knowing the exact nutrient status avoids excess fertiliser, making produce relatively safer.
• **Ease of use:** the device is designed to be simple for farmers.

Genius Farms Limited took the initiative through its "Dr. Chashi Project" to put simple technology in farmers' hands so they can analyse their own soil and make the right decisions. Combining IoT, software based on local data and an easy design, the writer says, the digital soil sensor could become a reliable companion for smart farming in Bangladesh.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.