A MOBILE soil laboratory has been deployed to the Western Visayas that will provide free on-site soil testing and analysis, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
The test results will help farmers determine an optimal fertilization plan.
Pilot tested in Tarlac in January, the P42-million laboratory, mounted on a 10-wheel truck, is capable of performing 44 types of chemical, physical, and microbiological soil tests.
In Tarlac, the mobile laboratory generated 346 fertilizer recommendations after testing soil planted to high-value crops, and helped update soil fertility maps in the province. It also distributed 103 soil test kits across 18 municipalities.
Around 584 beneficiaries in Tarlac were trained on soil analysis and sustainable fertilizer management.
Rice, corn, sugarcane, coconut, and banana are the top agricultural products in the Western Visayas.
DA Regional Executive Director Dennis R. Arpia said: “We need Science to further enhance agriculture as well as uplift the living conditions of our farmers.”
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, in 2024 the Western Visayas was ninth-leading region by value of agriculture and fisheries production, making it the top Visayan region by that metric. — Andre Christopher H. Alampay