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Developing a Multi-Parameter Soil Health Tool for Farmers
Main TrackSustainable AgrifoodOCP Singapore
Up to S$30,000 in POC / pilot fundingUp to S$30,000 POC Development Grant
OCP Singapore
is the regional office of OCP Nutricrops for Southeast and East Asia, dedicated to empowering smallholder farmers with customised, sustainable solutions tailored to their needs. OCP group is the world leader in phosphate-based fertiliser, operating across five continents and with access to over 70% of the world‘s known phosphate reserves. The company enables access to customised phosphate-based fertilisers that support farmers in enhancing yields through science-backed, environmentally responsible practices. OCP Nutricrops, as part of OCP Group, develops innovative digital solutions that address farmers' daily challenges and promote sustainable practices.
Climate change has increased abiotic stress across Southeast Asia, including drought, salinity, soil acidity, and extreme heat, all of which negatively affect soil health, crop yield, and overall productivity.
Existing soil testing systems in the region are fragmented, mostly diagnostic, and often limited to physical and chemical parameters. They are also time-consuming and costly, making them inaccessible to smallholder farmers.
OCP Nutricrops' goal is to move beyond single-parameter, diagnostic soil tests toward an integrated, predictive model that can support soil fertility management and nutrient efficiency decisions, in line with OCP Nutricrops’ 4R nutrient-stewardship approach: applying the right source, at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place.
This tool may use AI or machine-learning models, remote sensing, or biophysical data to translate multiple parameters into a simple, actionable soil health index usable by farmers and agronomists.
How might we develop a soil health tool that integrates biological, physical, chemical, and carbon-based parameters to provide actionable insights into farm productivity, sustainability, and resilience?
Requirements
Technical Requirements:
- Must integrate multiple soil parameters - biological, chemical, physical, and carbon-based - to build a predictive soil health model.
- Should generate actionable outputs aligned with the 4R nutrient stewardship framework.
- Propose a weighted scoring system for the biological, physical, chemical and carbon-based soil parameters.
- Must be scalable and adaptable for smallholder farmers across the region.
- Should function across major Southeast Asian crops, such as rice, maize, cassava, sugarcane, and oil palm.
- Must demonstrate predictive capability, ideally identifying soil degradation risks or productivity loss before they occur.
Performance Requirements:
- Should demonstrate predictive accuracy in identifying soil health trends and potential yield risks.
- Must be validated against field data from tropical soils in Southeast Asia.
- Should produce interpretable and easy-to-use indicators for agronomists and farmers.
- Provide practical recommendations for soil restoration or carbon enrichment interventions.
Financial Considerations:
- The solution must be affordable and scalable for smallholder farmers.
- OCP Singapore is open to a range of business models to provide the proposed tool / service.
Who Should Apply:
- Minimum Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 - calibration should already have been completed, or be feasible to conduct quickly prior to the start of the POC / pilot
Potential Sustainability Impact:
- Improved nutrient-use efficiency, reducing GHG emissions
- Enhanced soil resilience and fertility, leading to more sustainable crop productivity
- Strengthened drought resilience in Southeast Asia, improving crop performance under extreme or fluctuating weather conditions
- Increased carbon sequestration potential through better soil management
POC / Pilot & Incentives
Expected POC / Pilot & Timeline:
- Location: Thailand and / or Indonesia
- Crop: One of the following - rice, maize, cassava, and sugarcane
- Prototype: OCP Singapore expects a prototype capable of producing initial results in 2026.
POC / Pilot Funding:
- OCP Singapore will provide milestone-based POC / pilot funding of up to S$30,000.
- Enterprise Singapore is augmenting this support with a POC development grant of up to S$30,000 for eligible startups / SMEs. Foreign startups / SMEs may be considered if developmental activities are based in Singapore and only if a Singapore office is incorporated. The POC Development grant could also be awarded to startups / SMEs incorporated in Singapore for projects with overseas pilot deployment potential.
POC / Pilot Support:
- Access to digital farmer-support platforms / tools or datasets
- Access to agronomic expertise through OCP Nutricrops and OCP Singapore and its regional network and research partners (for example, UM6P)
Further Opportunities:
- Scalable deployment through OCP Nutricrops' agronomic advisory and distribution networks can enable widespread adoption of the tool across multiple Southeast Asian markets, reaching smallholder farmers through established support channels.
- A successful solution also has the potential to integrate into OCP Nutricrops' digital agronomy ecosystem, strengthening its capabilities in precision and regenerative agriculture by providing data-driven soil insights that inform better nutrient and crop management decisions.
Info Session
Check out the recording from our Info Session, where Lidl & Kaufland Asia shared more about their challenge statement.
RESOURCES
Info Session Recording
Revisit the detailed presentation on this challenge statement from our virtual Info Session.
Next Steps
Still have questions?
- Write to us at info@padang.co with any questions.
Making Your Application
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