New Delhi, May 19 -- Farmers should soon be able to ditch laborious soil testing methods that involve collecting samples from different parts of a field and having them tested at government labs. The government is preparing to upgrade the soil-testing process by empowering farmers with a handheld digital tool that can deliver real time results wiht satellite technology, said M.L. Jat, secretary, department of agricultural research and education. The the technology is still under development so no timeline was given. With this device, farmers will be able to quickly assess soil properties like texture, organic matter, pH and nutrient levels in seconds, for precision-farming. With such information handy, farmers can apply the right amount of fertilizer, nutrients and irrigation based on specific soil needs, reducing input costs and improving crop yields, said Jat, who is also director general at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Also, unlike soil health cards that offer static and often technical reports, new National Soil Survey Laboratories will provide real-time and easy-to-understand soil data to farmers, who will receive personalized advice via apps or handheld devices. These innovations are expected to overhaul agricultural practices in India and improve yields. While traditional soil testing methods take several days and require substantial resources, conventional chemical analysis at soil testing laboratories is expensive, labour-intensive and time-consuming. Agriculture contributes about 18% to India's GDP and accounts for 42% of its workforce. In the 2025-26 Union Budget, the agriculture and allied activities department received an allocation of Rs.1.71 trillion, up 20% from revised estimates of Rs.1.40 trillion for FY25. A large set of soil spectral libraries will allow for developing sensor-based soil fertility assessment, agriculture scientists said. This will allow farmers to treat different parts of their fields based on specific soil conditions. Also, a depository of soil spectral data collected from across the country will make soil data more accessible and interpretable to farmers without technical backgrounds through user-friendly apps, Jat said. The national depository currently "contains more than 40,000 spectra of different soil types collected from across India... Once it is fully developed, soil properties will be known in a fraction of a second," said a senior scientist associated with the ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning. Another ICAR scientist said 5,000-10,000 samples would be added every year. "Once we have a sufficient number of soil samples covering the majority of variations in soils, relations between the soil properties and the spectra can be developed using various modelling algorithms," this scientist said....