Pune Scientist’s Portable Device Helps Farmers Check Soil Health in Just a Few Minutes

Originally reported and written in May 2023, this story has been republished as part of our archival content. Roughly five decades ago, getting a yield of nearly 2 tonnes per hectare required 54 kg of fertiliser per hectare. Today, you’d need about 280 kg to get the same yield. This indicates poor soil health, thanks to the improper and imbalanced use of chemical fertilisers.    “This results in plant degradation and loss of productivity. Without complete knowledge, farmers keep on adding fertilisers, which only worsens crop yield,” Dr Rajul Patkar, CEO and co-founder of Pune-based Proximal...