ILOILO City — Hundreds of farmers in Iloilo are gaining a crucial advantage in cutting production costs and increasing yields as the Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Office 6 rolls out its mobile soil laboratory, bringing free, on-site soil analysis directly to farming communities in Leon and Cabatuan.
The initiative, aimed at promoting smarter, data-driven farming, has already benefited nearly 300 farmers in Leon alone, with 296 soil samples tested to determine soil health and guide precise fertilizer application.
The mobile soil laboratory offers free testing of soil specimens to assess whether land remains suitable for rice cultivation or requires intervention, enabling farmers to avoid costly guesswork and improve productivity.
“Sa pamamagitan ng programang ito, patuloy na sinusuportahan ang pagpapalakas ng kabuhayan ng mga magsasaka at ang pag-unlad ng sektor ng agrikultura sa komunidad,” the DA-6 said in a statement under the leadership of Regional Executive Director Dennis Arpia.
Farmers who availed of the service also attended a one-day technical briefing and advisory session designed to strengthen their knowledge of soil management and climate-resilient farming practices.
DA technical staff discussed strategies on climate-resilient agriculture, proper soil sampling, and efficient fertilizer and nutrient management. They emphasized that balanced soil nutrition can significantly enhance crop resistance to pests and diseases.
The sessions also covered adaptive balanced fertilization, the roles of water, soil, and farm machinery in crop production, and the use of Trichoderma to improve soil health. Key principles of organic agriculture were likewise introduced to encourage sustainable farming practices.
Following its stop in Leon, the mobile soil laboratory proceeded to Cabatuan to extend the same free services to farmers in the municipality and nearby towns.
According to DA-6, the program forms part of its broader effort to expand access to soil testing services and ensure that more farmers can properly assess and manage their farmlands.
Soil analysis plays a critical role in determining the exact nutrients required by crops, particularly rice, helping farmers optimize growth and improve harvest quality.
The Mobile Soil Laboratory (MSL), a customized 10-wheeler truck equipped with advanced laboratory instruments, is capable of conducting 44 chemical, physical, and microbiological soil tests.
These analyses provide reliable data that guide farmers in applying the right nutrients, in the right amount, at the right time — leading to more efficient and productive farming practices.
To ensure accurate results, farmers were advised to submit ½ to 1 kilogram of pulverized soil samples ready for analysis. Ideally, samples should be collected from fields without standing crops. If crops are already present, the field should not have been fertilized within the last two months.
Farmers were also instructed to determine the exact coordinates of their farms using the DA GeoCamera Advanced mobile application available on the Google Play Store, allowing for geotagged data that supports precise, location-specific fertilizer and soil management recommendations./PN
