Southern Calibration Journey Part Two – Field Calibration in Key Paddy Zones

On 11 November 2025, the Biogenic Soil Sense (BSS) Field Scanning & Calibration Team carried out extensive soil calibration activities in some of Sri Lanka’s prime paddy-growing locations in the southern region. We visited three sites:
1. Near Udawalawa National Park – 6°25′25.8″N, 80°50′47.5″E
2. Samagipura – 6°24′03.4″N, 80°58′38.5″E
3. Udawamattala – 6°20′09.6″N, 81°07′34.0″E

These areas are part of the larger Udawalawa agricultural region, which is among Sri Lanka’s main paddy cultivation belts. Given the importance of paddy in national food security, calibrating soil testing here is critical.

Why This Region Matters
• Paddy cultivation dominance: The Udawalawa area is well-known for its wetland and irrigated paddy fields. These lands depend heavily on irrigation and consistent water supply, especially during the Maha and Yala seasons.
• Water supply: Udawalawa reservoir and associated irrigation networks are essential in supplying water for both agriculture and other needs downstream.
• National significance: According to the Department of Census and Statistics (Sri Lanka), paddy remains the staple wetland crop across all districts. The Maha season contributes approximately 60% of the annual national paddy output, while Yala accounts for about 40%.
• In the 2024 Yala season, approximately 481,316 hectares were cultivated nationally under paddy.

Our Calibration Activity: What We Did

At each site, the team performed detailed soil scanning and sample collection to calibrate our Total Soil Nutrition Testing tools. This includes:
• Gathering soil samples across varied field types (irrigated, less irrigated, near water sources)
• Recording soil moisture, texture, organic matter, and nutrient levels
• Matching test readings with lab calibration standards to ensure accuracy in local conditions

Expected Benefits to Farmers & Agriculture

By calibrating in these key regions, Biogenic Soil Sense aims to:
• Provide more precise fertilizer recommendations tailored to each field — reducing overuse of inputs, saving costs, and avoiding environmental harm.
• Improve yields and productivity by ensuring nutrient levels are optimal for paddy under local conditions.
• Support sustainable soil health so that rice cultivation can continue reliably for future seasons without degrading the land.

Looking Ahead

As part of our ongoing Southern Calibration Journey, this work in the Udawalawa area strengthens our local calibration database — vital for scaling precision soil testing across Sri Lanka. We plan follow-up sampling after the upcoming planting seasons to refine calibration further.

“Know your soil, know your nutrition demand.”
“Scanning the soil, profiling the land.”