Soil Detection Sensor (Kasht Tech)

Abstract

In the vast landscape of agriculture, a fundamental industry that sustains the global population and supports the livelihoods of millions, our project emerges as a beacon of innovation. At its core, we endeavor to create an integrated system that helps the precision of farming practices with modern technology. A soil sensor seamlessly integrated with a mobile application. Our vision is to empower farmers by providing them with a comprehensive solution for optimizing their soil health and enhancing productivity. Agriculture is a fundamental industry that sustains the global population, yet smallholder farmers often face productivity challenges due to limited resources and lack of soil health information. Our project addresses this gap by introducing a novel precision farming solution, a low-cost soil sensor integrated with a mobile application, tailored for small farmers. The system provides real-time data on soil moisture, pH, and fertility, delivering actionable advice (in both English and Urdu) via a user-friendly app and SMS alerts. This innovation is designed to bridge the information divide in farming, giving even resource-limited farmers scientific insights that were previously inaccessible. It targets a core problem: the vast majority of farmers manage crops by guesswork since fewer than one-fifth have ever conducted soil tests, leading to inefficient water and fertilizer use. By focusing on local needs and language support, we chose this project to empower farmers with knowledge and improve decision-making on the field. To validate the need for Kasht Tech, we conducted a mixed-method study. A bilingual survey (English/Urdu) captured current farming practices, fertilizer usage, land size, and willingness to adopt new technology. We gathered 100+ responses via Google Forms and carried out an in-depth field interview at a strawberry farm in Chak Shahzad to obtain first-hand insights. The feedback revealed that most farmers still rely on visual cues or routine fertilizer schedules and are largely unaware of proper soil testing methods. However, there was overwhelming interest in an affordable soil sensor solution. Most respondents expressed willingness to use technology for soil monitoring and to receive crop-specific advice based on real-time soil and weather data. These findings confirmed a strong demand for smart farming tools like Kasht Tech among small farmers who have so far been left behind in digital agriculture. Kasht Tech offers a comprehensive approach to optimize soil health and boost farm productivity. The integrated sensor-and-app system can help farmers save water, reduce excess fertilizer use, and increase crop yields by providing precise, timely recommendations. We emphasize the novelty of combining soil diagnostics with localized advisory: features like Urdu voice alerts and SMS reports make the technology accessible to farmers with basic phones or limited literacy. We recommend launching pilot trials with selected farmers and partnering with local agriculture departments to build awareness. Over time, the system can be scaled with additional features such as localized weather integration and expanded multilingual support. By addressing a clear problem with an innovative solution, this project not only advances agricultural practice but also demonstrates a strong commitment to community development through technology.