Abstract:
Paddy cultivation depends on fertilizers to obtain high yield. Thus, the demand for
fertilizers has been increased. It is required to choose suitable fertilizers in correct
quantities to get maximum yield while minimizing harmful effects. Sri Lankan
farmers face difficulties when selecting proper fertilizers and quantities based on
environmental conditions of paddy field (soil and climate) and paddy variety.
Agricultural Instructors (AIs) are responsible to give advices to determine correct
fertilizers. But, AIs face many difficulties when analyzing individual farms with
various conditions (pH value, soil moisture, nitrogen content of soil). It is also
difficult to visit each farm because each AI is assigned to many farms. Some
studies attempt to find a solution to determine soil nitrogen level using leaf color
code. However, it is not completely correct to determine required fertilizer because
leaf color depends not on only soil nitrogen level but also on other factors such as
insect and disease attacks. As a solution, we have developed mobile-based and
web-based applications to help farmers to make decisions by themselves. Mobile
application provides required fertilizers in correct quantities by considering both
leaf color code and environmental factors. Through this application farmers are
able to view fertilization schedule in terms of tentative dates of applying fertilizers
(Urea, TSP, MOP) and relevant amounts with respect to planting dates. Further, it
displays the accumulative composition of Urea, TSP, MOP used for the cultivation
and total cost for fertilizers. It also facilitates real time communication. Web
application is mainly used for decision marking by AIs and other agriculture
authorities. By analyzing real time data collected through mobile application,
decision makers can take important decisions about paddy production, fertilizer
usage, cost for fertilizers based on districts, provinces, or island wide. Both
applications were evaluated using questionnaires. More than 80% of participants
satisfied with core functionalities of both applications. The work reported here is
an attempt towards developing a complete fertilization schedule for paddy
cultivation in Sri Lanka.
