Successful Engagement with Department of Agriculture Officials – Sri Lanka

On 2026.01.21

Advancing Collaboration for Precision Soil Management in Sri Lanka

Biogenic Soil Sense (Pvt.) Ltd. is pleased to share the successful completion of a high-level technical discussion with officials from the Department of Agriculture, focused on strengthening soil diagnostics and promoting data-driven decision-making in Sri Lankan agriculture.

The meeting served as a platform to align scientific soil assessment, national agricultural research priorities, and farmer-centric implementation, with the shared objective of improving productivity while safeguarding long-term soil health.

Focus of the Discussion

During the session, Dr. Thulitha Ranwala, Founder of Biogenic Soil Sense, presented an overview of:
• Current challenges faced by Sri Lankan farmers due to blanket fertilizer application and limited access to timely soil data
• The role of rapid, field-based Total Soil Nutrition Testing in enabling evidence-based fertilizer recommendations
• The importance of local calibration and validation of rapid soil diagnostics against reference laboratory analysis
• Opportunities to integrate precision soil intelligence with existing national research and extension frameworks

A detailed technical presentation (attached) was shared with participants, outlining our nationwide calibration journey, validation protocols, and proposed models for collaboration with government research institutes.

Participants

The meeting brought together a broad and highly specialized group of stakeholders, including:
• Dr. Thulitha Ranwala, Founder, Biogenic Soil Sense (Pvt.) Ltd.
• Directors and Soil Scientists of the Department of Agriculture
• Representatives from all Rice Research Institutes
• Scientists from Field Crop Research Institutes
• Representatives from Fruit Research Institutes
• Scientists from the Horticultural Crops Research and Development Institute (HORDI), Gannoruwa

The diversity of expertise present ensured a comprehensive discussion covering paddy, field crops, horticulture, and national soil management priorities.

Shared Vision for Sri Lankan Agriculture

The discussions reflected a strong consensus that the future of Sri Lankan agriculture must be:
• Scientifically validated, ensuring credibility and trust
• Data-driven, replacing assumption-based nutrient management
• Cost-effective for farmers, particularly smallholders
• Environmentally responsible, reducing unnecessary fertilizer use and soil degradation

Officials emphasized the importance of solutions that can be scaled nationally through existing research and extension systems, while maintaining scientific rigor.

Pathways for Future Collaboration

Several potential collaboration pathways were discussed, including:
• Joint validation and comparison studies
• Capacity-building programs for researchers and extension officers
• Pilot implementations in selected agro-climatic zones
• Supporting national initiatives on climate-smart and sustainable agriculture

These discussions mark a significant step toward building a coordinated national soil information ecosystem that supports farmers, researchers, and policymakers alike.

Looking Ahead

At Biogenic Soil Sense, we firmly believe that meaningful agricultural transformation is achieved through partnership, science, and trust. This engagement with the Department of Agriculture and its research institutions represents an important milestone in our mission to deliver accurate, accessible, and locally validated soil intelligence to Sri Lankan farmers.

We look forward to continued collaboration in shaping a resilient, productive, and sustainable agricultural future for Sri Lanka.

💡 “Know your soil, know your nutrition demand.”