New Delhi, May 18 -- Farmers should soon be able to abandon laborious methods of soil testing, which involve collecting samples from different parts of a field and having each of those tested at government laboratories.

The Union government is preparing to upgrade the soil testing process by empowering farmers with a handheld digital tool that can deliver results in real time using satellite technology, a senior government official said.

With this device, farmers will be able to quickly assess soil properties such as texture, organic matter, pH, and nutrient levels in a matter of seconds with the help of a handheld device, allowing for precision-farming, said M.L. Jat, secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education.

With ...