Customer Story | AgroCares

OCP Kenya

agrocares — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 10:55:16 +0000

The success of the OCP Kenya-OCP School Lab (OSL) project stems from a comprehensive approach to addressing agricultural challenges in Kenya. A review of various surveys on the state of agriculture revealed a connection between low crop yields, reduced incomes, and soil fertility constraints, particularly soil acidity. Additionally, a lack of awareness about soil health and fertility management resulted in the indiscriminate use of input treatments.

Identifying a gap in accessing soil testing services and the associated high costs, OCP Kenya, launched the OCP School Lab (OSL) project in 2017. The primary goal was to offer farmers a range of agricultural services, including interactive training sessions on best agricultural practices and soil testing through the OCP mobile School and Lab. The project aimed to alleviate the financial burden of soil testing for smallholder farmers, increase awareness of the benefits of improved soil health, and enhance productivity.

Melvin Adhiambo, Business Analyst at OCP Africa, highlighted the strategic partnership’s effectiveness in reaching farmers. “Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture at County Government levels, OCP Kenya can access even the most remote areas by utilizing farmer groups and cooperatives. This enables us to serve multiple farmers simultaneously,” she said.

To make soil testing easily accessible, modern technologies are employed. AgroCares Technology a Lab-in-a-Box Solution based on sensor technology and modern ICT architecture is used. This solution provides mobility and serves as an optimal tool for farmer capacity development, brand visibility, and market penetration. The mobile labs conduct on-farm soil testing and issue management recommendations based on inherent soil fertility indicators. This approach ensures that farmers receive training on good agronomic practices and gain awareness of the importance of soil testing and use of inputs. By 2018, OCP Kenya had equipped two mobile school labs with the Lab-in-a-Box Solution.

Derrick Chirchir, Lab Technologist at OCP Africa, emphasized the value of the AgroCares online portal in customizing fertilizers to crop and soil needs. “The portal provides data on soil conditions across the country, aiding in the formulation of the right fertilizers for Kenyan soils. With the technology used, we can retrieve data dating back to the inception of our operations, providing valuable insights for informed decision-making up to the present day,” he said.

OCP Kenya has successfully reached approximately 500,000 farmers across 20 counties, with 20,000 benefiting from the soil testing service. These counties include Nakuru, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Bungoma, Kisii, Homabay, Migori, Busia, Kakamega, Narok, Machaklos, Meru, Embu, Nyeri, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, and Nyandarua. The impact is evident in the adoption of good agronomic practices, especially in soil health and input use, with an adoption rate exceeding 85%, as per a Dalberg study conducted in 2022. The program has also improved household yields and income, as reported through follow-up sessions with agriculture extension staff at the county levels.

The OSL project’s impact is continually tracked through partnerships with other projects within the organization. A recent collaboration with Kenya Crops and Dairy Market Systems, under the “Feed the Future” project, has enabled the reach of 100,000 farmers in the western part of the country for the year 2023, benefiting over 30,000 farmers through soil testing.

Drawing on a rich tradition of scientific research, OCP Kenya is committed to conducting research trials, including soil testing, to collect valuable data on distinct soil types and crop nutrient needs. These efforts are geared to enhance fertilizer customization efforts and advance agricultural knowledge.

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ISABU Lab – Burundi

agrocares — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:00:08 +0000

Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi (ISABU) is a government institution under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in Burundi. The institution is an umbrella under which various laboratories operate offering services in different agri-sectors. Its vision is to contribute to the establishment of a dynamic agricultural sector based on innovative technologies, knowledge and approaches that meet the needs of users and improve the well-being of the people.

The journey to adoption of AgroCares soil testing technology by ISABU

The journey to adoption of AgroCares soil testing technology by ISABU was initiated by a non-governmental organization (ZOA) in partnership with the PAPAB project through a grant from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands implemented in 2015 till 2020 to sustainably increase food production in Burundi. Through a proposal put forth by ZOA, a partnership was established with AgroCares that led to the calibration of soils in Burundi to enable the use of AgroCares soil testing technology in the country in the year 2016.

Later on, in the same year, a team of representatives under the partnership project visited the AgroCares offices in Kenya to ascertain the working of the technology and laboratory set up. This left the team more confident and convinced about the technology leading to the next step of purchasing the lab and having it installed at the ISABU institution as a stationary lab. We are glad that among the many research institutions and universities that expressed interest in having the lab set up in their premises, ISABU was selected (Elena, Lab manager).

Why AgroCares soil testing labs under the ISABU umbrella

Although a number of soil laboratories exist in the country with a wet chemistry lab present at the ISABU institution, the labs have not had the sole mandate of fully serving the small-scale farmers. Their focus has been majorly on research related programs and this created a gap on knowledge of soil health and fertility status among the small-scale farmers (Elena, Lab manager).

ISABU therefore embraced the set up AgroCares soil labs under the institution in order to reach out to small-scale farmers who were still engrossed in traditional farming methods. We aimed at passing on knowledge to the farmers focusing on soil health for improved productivity. Also, with ISABU’s vision to contribute to the establishment of a dynamic agricultural sector based on innovative technologies, AgroCares technology comes in handy to complement the vision (Elena, Lab Manager).

What we love about the AgroCares technology at ISABU

The AgroCares technology for soil analysis has proven to be a great method of analysis for us because of the ability to analyze many samples within a short period and deliver results in no time. It has also enabled us to offer the service at an affordable price making soil testing easily accessible to small scale farmers including those from the most remote farming regions of Burundi (Ezechiel, research analyst).

As an analyst who runs soil samples in the lab daily, I get to experience the outstanding features of the sensor technology; the short duration within which results are produced, well-structured reports that are easy to interpret by the farmers and the simplicity of the process of analyzing soil in comparison with conventional wet chemistry laboratory process that is laborious. We also enjoy the prompt and satisfying assistance we get from the AgroCares's technical support team whenever we need it (Ezechiel, research analyst).

I just love the fact that we are not handling chemicals in this lab because the procedure of acquiring chemicals including verification is such a tough and lengthy process here in Burundi. Thus working with sensor based instruments for analysis in the lab turns out to be economical and fast for our operations. Also happy to say we can keep our environment safe with no chemicals in use (Elena, Lab manager).

Impact of the technology

Since the setup of the laboratory in 2016, approximately 8,000 farmers across Burundi have benefitted from this service: “the technology turned out to be a bridge, connecting the ministry of agriculture with smallholder farmers in need of soil testing services at affordable prices, with the aim of increasing their productivity at reduced costs (Ezechiel, research analyst).

Additionally, the service we offer through AgroCares Liab has enabled ISABU to establish collaborations with other like-minded partners within and outside Burundi in running projects to reach out to underprivileged farmers and provide them with holistic knowledge on agricultural production for better livelihoods.

This in turn is helping ISABU with attaining one of the institutional goals; improving the well-being of people throughout the nation (Ezechiel, research analyst). Researchers within our institute have appreciated the technology and are currently including the services of Liab as a component of their research programs running within the institute under the ministry of agriculture for policy making (Elena, Lab manager).

Outlook for the future

Since we noticed a good number of farmers, more so the potato farmers coming back to us with feedback of improved yields, we plan to have a budget allocation for farmer sensitization and training programs annually. This will enable us reach out to more farmers across the farming regions in Burundi (Elena, Lab manager).

We are also considering setting up a tracking system on farmer feedbacks and improvements realized with the implementation of recommendations from the soil tests alongside embracing good agricultural practices as we continue to help farmers shift from the traditional farming methods (Ezechiel, research analyst). With the understanding of the crucial role of partnerships, we are looking more into strengthening the existing ones as we scout for more in our course to holistically support smallholder farmers.

Our recent partnership with International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and stakeholders in the seed sector has enabled us to serve close to 800 farmers in the months of July and August 2023 with IFDC recommending farmers to do soil tests at the ISABU LiaB. We believe our mandate as ISABU to respond to the needs of Burundi farmers continually, will be possible through embracing new technologies and establishing more partnerships in the agri-space as we forge ahead (Elena, Lab manager).

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Fadhili Africa

agrocares.com — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 14:31:28 +0000

Fadhili Africa is a company based in Kenya, Thika – a town outside the capital city. The company began working with AgroCares in 2017 as a service provider while they were offering consultancy services to several groups of farmers in rural Kenya. Fadhili’s core business is based on the believe that successful farming practices start with the analysis of soil properties.

With Kenya’s big rural communities that are often located in remote areas, Fadhili is addressing several challenges of those farming communities. By removing the lack of access to soil testing services and with that associated infrastructure hurdles, he offers more affordable and fast soil testing alternatives. During their consultancy visits Fadhili does not only take soil samples, but also provides information on crop management, pest and disease monitoring and irrigation. Enabling farmers to get a full assessment of their farming practices and recommendations on how to overcome some of the challenges that are being faced during the cropping season.

With the AgroCares Scanner, Fadhili’s mission is to enable his clients to understand their soils, improve efficiency of their farm management practices and secure livelihoods through increasing yields and optimizing inputs.

Fadhili’s stands for sustainable farming solutions as this is a crucial part of modern agriculture while using cutting edge farming methods.

The results speak for themselves

The General Manager of Fadhili Africa, Bernard Ndungu explains that the farmers were hesitant to adopt the technology at the beginning, but they succeeded to expand their territory when they could demonstrate the benefits of soil testing with AgroCares Scanner: “Initially, the uptake of the service was low. Fadhili Africa had to work on improving the service and finding ways to reach out to more farmers. The company now has 12 full-time employees and many more working on part-time or commission-based arrangements. We are also working closely with counties, cooperatives, and other common interest groups to reach out to more farmers across the country. We have managed to develop strong relationships with cooperatives, especially in the coffee sector.”

“Soil analysis is not a norm for us. It is relatively new in this part of the world, and most people have not tested their soil. The government used to do the sampling, analyze the soil, and give blanket recommendations. As Fadhili Africa, we’ve been working with different organizations, both private and development partners, to sensitize farmers about the importance of soil testing. Although it has not been an easy to shift for farmers to get their soils tested, or convince them to use dry chemistry instead of wet chemistry, we have started to see a change as the impact of the service becomes more apparent. The results speak for themselves.”

We decided to go further

Bernard Ndungu: “Throughout the journey, there have been difficulties. Acceptance was a challenge, but also sensitization and bringing people together were challenges. Trust, logistics and money were challenges. And these challenges have taught us that, doing only a soil test and giving farmers the results is not enough. That is what everybody else have been doing, including the government. We decided to go further. We meet the farmers through producer organizations or cooperatives and then we go through the sensitization process which helps us lower our costs. After working with them in a group, then we only do the analysis for those who register and explain what the results mean. This way we can build relationships with them and with the cooperatives and the producer organizations. We can provide them with support beyond analysis.”

Our part to support Kenyan agriculture

Although Fadhili Africa's primary focus have been soil testing, the company is also planning to expand into the feed analysis in the future as they believe that there is an opportunity to grow in that area. The company is also getting support from the World Bank and various other organizations to promote their services, extent the use of technology and develop new projects in different counties.

Bernard Ndungu: “One of our key missions is that we want to enable our counties to be fully sufficient and we want to build our capability in Kenya that is able to analyze 1 million samples every year. We are also looking to improve ourselves in the next three years. This year, our aim is to do about 40,000 samples, next year we're planning to do about 90,000 samples, and 150,000 samples in the coming year. This means we are going to have a lot of collaborations with the crews we work together, with the producer organizations, and also with the cooperatives. On the other side, we are planning to invest in our own AgroCares Scanners to be able to offer the services in the market for other people who want to use the technology. These are some of the things that we look forward for the foreseeable future and have been equipping ourselves to be able to deliver our part to support Kenyan agriculture.”

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Farmers Centre Meru

agrocares — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 19:31:49 +0000

AgroCares soil testing technology improves the yields of farmers in Meru

Farmers Centre Ltd, situated in Meru, Kenya, provides local farmers with a variety of agricultural inputs including seeds and fertilizers. Farmers Centre thinks it is important for farmers to get to know the status of their soil and take corrective measures. Therefore, they invested in a Lab-in-a-Box – a sensor laboratory developed by SoilCares (now part of AgroCares). With the Lab-in-a-Box (LiaB) Farmers Centre can provide Meru farmers with soil testing results within 2 hours. Based on these results, farmers get insight into the most suitable inputs for their soil.

The importance of testing soil fertility

Soil testing brings many benefits for farmers. However, many Kenyan farmers do not have access to soil testing services. Mr Gilbert Kibiti, Owner and Managing Director of Farmers Centre: “Most of the large-scale farmers in Meru used to take their samples to a traditional wet chemistry lab in Nairobi which takes approximately 2 weeks to get back the reports. Some small-scale farmers with the help of NGOs and outgrowers also used to take their soil samples to a lab for analysis which also uses wet chemistry. But majority of the farmers were not testing their soils at all.”

Farmers Centre realized the need for farmers to test their soil. Gilbert Kibiti: “Over time we received complaints by farmers that their yields have been decreasing even though they have been using a lot of fertilizers. They tend to blame the quality of the fertilizer or the seed varieties and this affects my business because I sell farm inputs. I figured out that investing in a LiaB and stationing it at my shop will benefit the farmers because they are then able to test the soil and order the right type and quantity of fertilizer they need to increase their yield.”

Successful implementation of AgroCares technology

The implementation of the sensor lab took quite a bit of time but SoilCares (now part of AgroCares) provided the support needed to facilitate the process. Gilbert Kibiti: “I appreciate the effort that SoilCares took to include me as one of the partners of the PASIFIK project (Providing Analytical Services for Informed Farming In Kenya). This project enabled me to obtain the lab at a subsidized prize as per the project terms. As soon as the documentation was complete, the process of importation and installation was quite fast. My staff was trained on how to operate the LiaB and they were able to start analyzing the soil quickly.”

Biggest advantage: soil testing results within 2 hours

With the help of Lab-in-a-Box, Farmers Centre can provide farmers with soil analysis service and use the report to advise them on the inputs to collect from the shop. Gilbert Kibiti: “This new method of soil testing is much faster. The farmers living in the rural areas usually bring their soil samples when they are coming to town to shop for inputs. They receive their reports within 2 hours and go back home with all the inputs they need. This has enhanced the customer service at my shop.

The result: boosted sales and more business partnerships

Gilbert Kibiti: “A lot of farmers that have already analyzed their soils using our Lab-in-a-Box, followed the recommendations for inputs and have come back to say that their yield has increased tremendously. On the business side, the sensor lab has helped to boost other areas of my business including input sales and project partnerships with other stakeholders. For instance, I am currently a partner in a Kenya Market Trust (KMT) project that is supporting awareness creation for soil fertility management starting with soil testing.”

Recommending the Lab-in-a-Box to Kenyan agro-dealers

As a result of their positive experiences with the LiaB, Farmers Centre are enthusiastic to recommend the technology to other companies interested in offering soil testing services. Gilbert Kibiti: “Ever since I bought the soil analysis lab from SoilCares, I have been recommending it to my business colleagues especially the large agro dealers in Kenya. A number of prospective LiaB owners have called me to ask about it and I am more than willing to advise them to buy the lab.”

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Holland Greentech

agrocares — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 12:19:18 +0000

Norbert van der Straaten: “On-the-spot soil analysis with the Scanner saves time and money.”

Norbert van der Straaten is one of the founders of Holland Greentech – an agricultural service provider in East Africa. Holland Greentech provides East-African farmers with a complete package of services ranging from soil analysis and fertilisation advice to seeds, nutrient management, irrigation solutions, and pest management solutions. Holland Greentech is one of SoilCares (now part of AgroCares) partners offering soil testing services with the Scanner in Rwanda and since February 2018 in Uganda and Zambia. In the short term Holland Greentech will also provide the services in Kenya.

Feeding the growing population of East Africa

The population of East Africa is growing fast and this leads to a rapidly increasing demand for food. As a result, local farmers are under pressure to produce more food from their land. The challenge of feeding the increasing population motivated Holland Greentech to search for reliable solutions that can help farmers improve and increase their yields. Holland Greentech believes that innovative technology for agriculture can solve this problem.

Dutch knowledge

Norbert van der Straaten, one of the founders of Holland Green Tech: “Supplying African cities with safe and tasty vegetables is a challenge. We want to help farmers cope with this challenge by offering a portfolio of the best products and services that use the Dutch knowledge, skills and technology. We are partnering with 7 Dutch companies. For every service of our portfolio, we have a different Dutch supplier of the technology.”

Soil: the starting point of agriculture

Holland Greentech realizes that soil quality is a crucial element in crop production. Norbert van der Straaten: “We believe that to help farmers, we should provide a full package of services. Only one element would make a small difference but the combination of the different services we offer can greatly improve farmers’ yield. Soil and water are starting points of agriculture so gathering data on available water, weather and soil is an important part of our services.”

Holland Greentech was looking for opportunities to expand their portfolio with soil testing services and decided to partner with SoilCares. Norbert van der Straaten: “We believe that SoilCares is the perfect partner for us when it comes to soil testing because the Scanner provides fast and reliable soil analysis. The soil reports are ready within 10 minutes and this is a great advantage for us. It means that our advisors can go to the farmer and discuss the results with them on the spot. This saves time and money not having to visit twice.”

How does it work?

An advisor from Holland Greentech actually goes to farmers and provides them not only with the tools but also with the knowledge required to successfully manage a farm. Norbert van der Straaten: “We visit farmers every Friday. Our advisors take the SoilCares Scanner to the field and perform on-the-spot soil analysis. It is important for us to have instant test results that we can explain to farmers immediately. That is why we cooperate with SoilCares – no need to wait for 3 weeks for the results as with traditional soil testing methods!” Holland Greentech supports farmers in every aspect – not only explaining the results and fertiliser recommendations, but also linking the farmers to companies that are able to supply the recommended fertilisation.

Stimulating entrepreneurship by training young experts

Holland Greentech plans to train a network of young experts that will support farmers and also promote soil testing. Norbert van der Straaten: “During the next 1.5 year we are going to develop our own distribution network of young experts in agriculture. We expect to hire 60 young people, of which 8 will focus on soil management, and teach them how to be entrepreneurial. They will work directly with farmers and sell our services.”

Outlook for the future

Holland Greentech plans to continue providing soil testing services and focus during the coming years on sharing knowledge with farmers and providing them with training. Norbert van der Straaten: “The technology is only useful if we manage to get the farmers to implement our advice and improve their yield. This happens with training and capacity building.”

Holland Greentech expects its regional offices to be self-supporting in 3 years. They plan to reach in 3 years’ time for example in Rwanda over 8,000 farmers (110 ha), by developing 40 demo plots in 8 regions. These demo plots will serve as regional sales and training locations.

Knowledge sharing between SoilCares and Holland Greentech is also on the agenda. Norbert van der Straaten: “It is important for us to share our experiences with working with farmers and learn from each other. I foresee that in the future we will further strengthen the cooperation with SoilCares. When we work closely together and share experiences, we understand and serve our clients better. The stronger our cooperation is, the more farmers we can reach.”

For more information about Holland Greentech, please check their website.

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Timac Agro Poland

agrocares — Sun, 15 Jan 2023 14:09:07 +0000

Łukasz Peroń: “Farmers are happy with the service of getting soil analysis results and a fertilization recommendation in 1 day”

Timac Agro Polska has been operating on the Polish market for 60 years. It specializes in the production of liquid and granulated fertilizers. It introduces innovative solutions thanks to which farmers can enjoy better yields while taking an environment friendly approach. Timac Agro advises farmers from all over Poland on how to select the right fertilizer for their crops.

Moving towards innovation

Timac Agro Poland is located close to Poznan, but their area of activity covers the whole of Poland. They cooperate with farmers who have very different types of crops, from wheat, corn and oilseed rape to sugar beet, apples and berries. The area of cultivation is also diversified, as there are farmers from 5 ha, but also up to 3,500 ha. Until now, the company has carried out tests in a laboratory. Łukasz Peroń, Marketing Director at Timac Agro Polska: “We used a traditional laboratory for soil analysis. This was the only available method. Everyone knows it and trusts it, but the waiting time is much longer than with the Scanner.

Time plays an important role

Łukasz Peroń: “Of course, as a company we invest in new, proven technologies. In the Scanner, we like the fact that the soil test is very fast. In a few minutes we can already have a basic analysis and show the report to the farmer (or send it to him). On this basis we can advise farmers. The Scanner is also a very handy device. For the adviser, it is simple to use and easy to transport.”

Soil analysis in the farmer’s field

Timac Agro advisors meet the customers in person after the initial telephone call. During this meeting on the field, they can analyse the soil composition thanks to the Scanner. The company currently employs 115 advisors. They advise farmers on how to fill the nutritional gaps in their soil. At a farmer’s field, they can quickly analyse the nutrient content of the soil and show them the results within a few minutes. Thanks to the Scanner, you can generate a report on your phone while still in the field.

An innovative product on the Polish market

The Scanner appeared on the Polish market in the beginning of 2018. Timac Agro Poland was one of the first companies to use this modern technology. Marcin Wieremczuk, Product Manager of Timac Agro Poland and user of the Scanner: “Farmers are very curious about the Scanner as it is something new and only recently introduced on the market. Of course, there are also some farmers who are sceptical about it. For example, one farmer had their soil sample tested in a traditional laboratory and with the Scanner to compare the results. This is normal, some customers always want to check the results. Our experience does show that the Scanner results are very similar to a traditional analysis in wet chemistry laboratory.”

Advisors are better equipped to meet the customer

The Scanner is small and handy, so advisors can take it anywhere. Timac Agro values it because it makes the company stand out from competitors. Marcin Wieremczuk: “The added value for our customers is certainly that they can have their analyses and fertilization advice done on the same day. We can see that farmers are happy with this service.”

With the Scanner you can act faster

In contrast to a traditional laboratory, it is no longer necessary to wait for the test results. They are available onsite. By knowing what the soil needs, you can quickly select the right fertilizer and apply it at the right place on the field. In addition, thanks to the Scanner, it is possible to analyse the composition of the soil at all times, without the need for continuously sampling and sending the samples to the laboratory. Marcin Wieremczuk is satisfied with the AgroCares Scanner: “I recommend the Scanner for three reasons: it gives a very quick result of analysis, which is a real added value; it is a very handy and small device, easy to transport; and thirdly, anyone can use it after a very short training (doing 3 samples).”

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Horizont 98

agrocares — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 19:59:31 +0000

Béla Szabó: We need to know our soils to choose the right fertilizers and fertilizer doses

Horizont 98 Kft. (ltd) is a service provider for a farmers’ cooperative. The total plot size of the cooperative is about 3500 hectares. They advise and deliver input supplies to this farmers’ cooperative. Farmers of the cooperative mainly grow maize, wheat, barley, triticale, sunflower, rapeseed and alfalfa. Horizont 98 is using AgroCares Scanner package to advise the farmers from the cooperative about the nutrients in their soils and the right fertilization. Understanding soil fertility and applying good nutrient management is essential for sustainable agriculture, according to Béla Szabó jr, plant protection specialist. Having access to this information in a fast, reliable and affordable way was impossible before he used the AgroCares Scanner.

Preserving our soils for the next generation

Béla Szabó: “We are dependent on our soils to produce agricultural products. Soils are not easy to manage but very easy to destroy. Restoration of soils is extremely difficult, so preventing soil degradation by continuous good nutrient management is needed. If we want next generations to be able to still produce agricultural products on our soils we need to preserve these soils. Furthermore, good soil quality leads to an increase of yields and profitability, so there is also an economic incentive to preserve our soils.”

Annual soil tests are needed

Horizont 98 Kft. is always looking for innovations that can improve their services. For Horizont 98, the right nutrient supply has always been one of the cornerstones of crop production. Béla Szabó Jr., Plant Protection Specialist: “Right nutrient supply will not only lead to a good end-of-year yield; wrong fertilization can trigger processes on fields that can take many years to be restored. Right, professional application is only possible if you perform soil tests on a yearly base.”

Fact-based calculation of fertilization

Before Horizont 98 had obtained the AgroCares Scanner, soils of the farmers were only tested every five years (obligatory soil test required by the government), using traditional laboratory testing methods. Fertilization was therefore calculated using personal experiences and preferences, not in a professional, fact-based way. When Béla Szabó heard about AgroCares Scanner during a professional training course, he was immediately intrigued by the opportunity of fast, reliable and easy soil testing.

Easy to use AgroCares Scanner and reliable results

Horizont 98 were among the first clients in Hungary to use the AgroCares Scanner and are satisfied with how the Scanner and SoilCares Manager app works. The measurements of the nutrients and values in the reports were in line with older soil tests and what we presumed. Also when we repeated the tests, the results were still good, so we were happy with these reliable results. The procedure of doing a soil test was not difficult and took about 10 minutes. Béla Szabó: “We discovered that the speed of the Scanner and app depends on the mobile device that we used with the Scanner. When we switched from a Sony Xperia Z4 tablet to a Huawei P10 smartphone, we obtained results much faster.”

The Scanner proved to provide what is promised: fast, easy and reliable soil testing. This makes it possible for us to calculate the amount of fertilizer needed for our fields much faster and based on real measurements.

Opportunities for farmers and advisors

Béla Szabó: “The AgroCares Scanner is unique in its kind, a handheld device with very easy-to-use app, that will give you affordable, fast and reliable measurements of soil parameters. With these results the actual nutrient needs can easily be calculated, so the right fertilizers in the right doses can be applied. This will save costs, increase yields and will lead to sustainable management of our soils, so next generations can still farm on these soils.”

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Eridon

agrocares — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 19:49:28 +0000

Mykyta Surovov: “AgroCares Scanner is the perfect tool for instant check of soil fertility before land leasing”

Mykyta Surovov is the Plant Nutrition Product Manager of Eridon in Ukraine. Eridon is active in the Ukrainian market for more than 25 years in areas like plant protection products, special and conventional fertilizers, microfertilizers and seeds and since recently biostimulators. Eridon, wanting to remain a leader in the agriculture market, is always looking for new solutions and better diagnostics in agriculture. Eridon immediately was interested in the opportunity of fast, affordable and reliable soil testing with AgroCares Scanners in Ukraine, something that what was not possible before. This was the main trigger for Eridon to become one of the first users of AgroCares Scanner in Ukraine.

Current laboratory practices take too long and are imperfect

Mykyta Surovov: “During my PhD I’ve conducted extensive research into fertilizers of prolonged actions, giving me a lot of experience with ‘traditional’ agrochemical laboratories. That’s why I’m very aware of basic problems that exist in Ukraine with these methods of soil testing. The accuracy of an analysis is determined by many factors; taking good soil samples, the transport of the samples and finally the analysis itself in the laboratory being all important. This method is imperfect and takes too long in a traditional agrochemical laboratory. Being able to have immediate results about soil quality and knowing how to act on soil problems in the field is a huge leap forward. That’s why AgroCares Scanner is a great and at the moment, only, solution for these problems.”

Advising farmers with easy fact-based information

Mykyta Surovov: “Advising farmers in the right way is not easy, you have to take into account many factors as an advisor like moisture content, organic matter content, microbiological activity, granulometric composition of the soil etc., etc. If you can measure may of these components on the spot, it definitely improves the recommendations an advisor can give. Interpreting the results is with the current app (red: SoilCares Manager app) still not that easy. A professional advisor can however upgrade the quality of his recommendations for sure with AgroCares Scanner.”

New opportunity: soil quality checks

There is an increasing need in Ukraine to immediately check soil fertility of land when the owner has changed. Almost all land that is suitable for agricultural production is in use, often fragmented and divided between different agroholdings. When land is passed from one agroholding to the other they, of course, want to know instantly the soil fertility status of the soil, because decisions about leasing or purchasing land should be taken immediately. AgroCares Scanner is perfect for this use. Mykyta expects a fast growing demand for this service once the moratorium on land sales is lifted in Ukraine.

Data-driven agricultural technologies are the future

Mykyta Surovov: “Huge benefits and profits for farmers are possible in 5-10 years if we embrace innovative data-driven technologies like the ones AgroCares offers. At Eridon, we would like to extend and improve our agricultural services by using AgroCares Scanners on a large scale. We would preferably do this in combination with a Lab-in-a-Box, so we can give our clients also a complete analysis of macro and micro elements, next to fast, on-the-spot soil testing. These kind of solutions, with analyzing huge amounts of data and giving very practical recommendations (also in a digital way) are the future for agriculture, with better, sustainable and improved production results.”

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Wim de Hoop (KCGG)

agrocares — Sun, 23 Oct 2022 20:54:37 +0000

“The Netherlands is a frontrunner of agriculture and yet we know so little about soil”

Wim de Hoop has been working as an independent consultant for more than 6 years with his company ‘Knowledge Center for Green Growth’ (KCGG), located in Driebergen, the Netherlands. His goal is to help his clients to grow economically and at the same time sustainably. His customers are located throughout the Netherlands and include farmers (both arable and dairy farmers), agribusiness and contractors. In recent years, especially since using the AgroCares Scanner, Wim is focusing on soil and fertilization. According to him, soil quality is the most determining factor for income differences and sustainability. With the help of the Scanner and other devices, Wim measures what is going on with the soil on a field. He uses this information to produce a practical roadmap for the farmer. He is able to provide his customer with a diagnosis and hands-on advice within a day. In the past, this used to be impossible. Now Wim can give such advice because he has tools like the AgroCares Scanner.

Looking for ways to measure soil quality

Wim had been searching for a long time for a way to gain a good insight into soil quality and soil differences within the field. His years of experience at Wageningen University thought him there are great opportunities when it comes to sustainable soil management. It is both value for money and good for the environment. When Wim heard Peter van Erp (head of R&D at AgroCares) talk about the AgroCares Scanner, he immediately asked if he could try it. This makes Wim one of the very first Scanner users.

Mixed samples give insufficient insight

Wim explains: “Soil is difficult to understand for many farmers and contractors. If you compare it to what a dairy farmer knows about his cow, for example, the difference is huge. A dairy farmer knows exactly what is going on with each individual cow. Arable farmers on the other hand, only have a mixed soil sample analyzed. It is often the case that only one compulsory soil sample is taken from a field. This gives no useful insight into the actual condition of the soil and the within-field differences in soil quality.”

Fast and complete advice possible with the help of the Scanner

Wim has changed his way of advising with the arrival of the Scanner. “It happens often that a contractor calls me in the morning because he sees a problem on a field but does not know what to do. I go there in the afternoon and take 4-5 soil samples and do some other measurements (for example, to test compaction). I then analyze these samples at home with the Scanner and integrate the results into a total report that includes also other important aspects of the soil. The next day I can provide the contractor and the farmer with information on what is really going on with the soil and offer a concrete step-by-step plan and fertilization advice. It is very important to be able to act immediately if you see a problem.” The Scanner is also used in other projects, together with the use of additional expertise in soil quality and precision fertilization.

Awareness is more important than measuring very precisely

Wim was surprised to find out how little farmers know about their soil. “The Netherlands is a leader in agriculture and yet we know so little about soil.” According to Wim, it is especially important that farmers and contractors have a quick insight into soil’s quality and get a concrete step-by-step plan for soil management. “Being aware of the overall quality of your soil is more important and more useful than having a very accurate measurement without any practical application. Focusing too much on details might prevent you from doing something with the information you already have. With a good broad insight you can achieve much more.” The scanner quickly provides insight into several important factors, which can be easily combined with other information to produce a BodemScan, developed by KCGG.

Enthusiastic customers

Wim was pleasantly surprised to discover that farmers are really interested in soil quality. Reactions from customers are extremely positive. “People are interested, but not in theoretical information; they want to know what it can bring them and they want a practical step-by-step plan. It is also very important that farmers can see it for themselves on their own plot. It should not be the case that only the adviser knows the soil condition, the farmer should also be aware of what is going on with the soil. Good information at the right time and practical advice – this approach is possible because tools such as the Scanner are now available.

This story is also available in Dutch here.

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Farmer Jeff Chemengen

agrocares — Sun, 23 Oct 2022 20:46:43 +0000

The story of farmer Jeff Chemengen

Jeff is father of two children and works fulltime on his farm, while his wife works as a teacher. He is a large-scale farmer who has dairy cows and grows food crops. Jeff is also the director of a local dairy milk cooperative. Before having his soil tested, Jeff used a lot of fertilizer but the results were not good. He decided to test his soil to avoid wastage on input and engage in profitable farming

Doubled yield

The report from SoilCares showed his soil’s pH was too acidic. He was advised to lime his field and apply organic manure. After following the recommendations his yields increased immensely. Jeff: “I got more than double the yields, my crops did very well.”

Before doing soil testing, Jeff used to get 15-18 bags of kales per acre in a week. Now he gets double of this and he has even increased the acreage of Kales farming to two and a half. His maize and grass also performed extremely well.

Increased milk production

The crops started growing faster and gave him high yields. He makes silage at home which enables him to feed his cows even during drought seasons. This has seen him double the milk production making him the third largest supplier of milk in the local Dairy.

Jeff: “My animals have increased in production, I am happy. I will always test my soil before planting my crops.”

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