Soil test crop response (STCR) approach is the most scientific approach of fertilizer recommendation for efficient and balanced utilization of applied fertilizer nutrients, which was confirmed through large number of verification trials and large-scale demonstrations throughout India. Development of fertilizer prescription equations through STCR approach was started during 1975 at AICRP on STCR, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru and trainings are being given for staff of Soil Testing Laboratory (STL) - Karnataka State Department of Agriculture (KSDA) for recommending the STCR based fertilizer recommendation for different crops. But these equations are not used effectively and it is found difficult to convince the farmers about the soil test-based fertilizer application, since, it is a tedious process as it includes collection of soil sample, their analysis and fertilizer recommendation based on soil test values after each crop. This will not be available to farmers in time.
Hence, a software “Krishiganaka” has been developed in collaboration VTU for getting soil fertility status based on geo–coordinates of the location and fertilizer recommendation based on STCR approach. This software was released by then the Honorable Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri. H.D. Kumaraswamy in 2018. This software was successfully evaluated by comparing with practically analyzed soil nutrient status with software provided soil nutrient status. Further, several verification trails were conducted on different crops by comparing other fertilizer recommendation in Tumakuru district. Among different approaches of fertilizer recommendations, web-based fertilizer recommendation through STCR has performed better than RDF and LMH approach which are being commonly practiced in all the soil testing laboratories of Karnataka.
The success of this software was presented to Joint Secretary, DAC and FW, at New Delhi, and a project has been sanctioned under RKVY grants. Now, this software has been re-developed at UASB named as “Dhartimitra”, where geo-coordinated soil analytical data of GPS-GIS project and several thousands of geo-coordinated soil samples analytical data of STL’s which was done under “Soil Health Mission” by KSDA are used to develop web based as well as mobile app-based software for southern ten districts of Karnataka.
The special feature of the software “Dhartimitra” is a provision has been made to update all the geo coordinated soil analytical data which will analyzed by KSDA- STL’s every year, so that the software will be further fine-tuned to make it more accurate and dynamic. This software, www.dhartimitra.uasbangalore.edu.in provides soil fertility status of the land along with fertilizer recommendation for specific crop based on targeted yield, just by entering the latitude and longitude of the farmer’s land (which can be obtained from compass available in their mobiles by standing on their land). Similarly, in order to make it more farmer’s friendly an option has been made to get the fertility status of the land by entering the survey number of the farmer’s field which is available in the RTC (Pahani).
For the ease of farmers, mobile app “Dhartimitra” is developed for smart/android phones. By installing this app and by using the “Get details” option and by entering all the necessary details with regard to crop to be grown with yield target, farmers will get the fertility status of their land along with quantity of fertilizers to be applied for specific yield target of a crop through soil heath card. At present this software is available for Kolar, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Mysore, and Chikkaballapur districts of Karnataka, which will be extended to another five districts of Karnataka.
