Closing yield gaps in small-holding farm systems presents an opportunity to increase agricultural output and increase farm income. Soil nutrient deficiency is one of the primary drivers of yield gaps, and optimizing fertilizer application to correct nutrient deficiencies can increase yield and increase profits over a farmer’s existing fertilizer practice. The efficient use of fertilizer also reduces unnecessary applications, saving the farmer money and reducing the environmental impact due to runoff. Soil nutrient analysis is necessary for fertilizer optimization, but small-holding farmers in resource-limited environments currently lack tools to obtain this critical information.<br/>We describe an affordable on-site soil nutrient analysis system, enabling the accurate measurement of nitrate, potassium, and pH. The system uses printed solid-state ion selective electrodes (ISEs) combined with a handheld electrochemical reader to transduce soil ion concentrations into an alphanumeric output that can be text messaged to a central service provider for immediate, customized fertilizer advisory. The ISE-based system demonstrates detection limits below the ion concentrations found in soil and produces near-Nernstian sensitivities in the presence of a 0.02-M strontium chloride extractant solution. These system results, paired with a nutrient management system, have the potential to provide small-holding farmers with actionable soil health information to efficiently apply fertilizer and improve crop yields.

On-site soil nutrient analysis system for small-holding farmers utilizing printed solid-state ion-selective electrodes

256th National Meeting (2018)

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