Low-cost precision agriculture for sustainable farming using paper-based analytical devices

• Published in: RSC advances 2024-07, Vol.14 (32), p.23392-2343
• Main Authors: Albuquerque, Jéssica Rodrigues de Paula, Makara, Cleyton Nascimento, Ferreira, Vinícius Guimarães, Brazaca, Laís Canniatti, Carrilho, Emanuel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agriculture; Calcium; Chemistry; Color; Cost analysis; Food; Magnesium; Soil fertility
• ISSN: 2046-2069; 2046-2069
• DOI: 10.1039/d4ra02310b

The United Nations estimates that by 2030, agricultural production must increase by 70% to meet food demand. Precision agriculture (PA) optimizes production through efficient resource use, with soil fertility being crucial for nutrient supply. Traditional nutrient quantification methods are costly and time-consuming. This study introduces a rapid (15 min), user-friendly, paper-based platform for determining four essential macronutrients-nitrate, magnesium, calcium, and ammonium-using colorimetric methods and a smartphone for data reading and storage. The sensor effectively detects typical soil nutrient concentrations, showing strong linearity and adequate detection limits. For nitrate, the RGB method resulted in an R 2 of 0.992, a detection range of 0.5 to 10.0 mmol L −1 , and an LOD of 0.299 mmol L −1 . Calcium quantification using grayscale displayed an R 2 of 0.993, a detection range of 2.0 to 6.0 mmol L −1 , and an LOD of 0.595 mmol L −1 . Magnesium was best quantified using the hue color space, with an R 2 of 0.999, a detection range of 1.0 to 6.0 mmol L −1 , and an LOD of 0.144 mmol L −1 . Similarly, ammonium detection using the hue color space had an R 2 of 0.988, a range of 0.5 to 2.5 mmol L −1 , and an LOD of 0.170 mmol L −1 . This device enhances soil fertility assessment accessibility, supporting PA implementation and higher food production. A paper-based platform quantifies essential soil macronutrients (nitrate, magnesium, calcium, ammonium) using colorimetry and a smartphone. This device enhances soil fertility assessment, supporting precision agriculture and boosting food production.