A mobile soil laboratory will be deployed in the Ilocos Region in the first quarter of the year to provide onsite soil testing and analysis in rural areas.

Regional soil laboratory chemist Aileene Millare of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Office 1 said about 2,000 farmers are expected to benefit from the service.

“We are going to cover all production areas of the three provinces in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and La Union,” Millare said in an interview Friday, adding that results — expected within about a month per province — will be used to update the soil fertility map.

The updated map will help farmers apply fertilizers more efficiently and improve soil health.

The initiative is part of the DA’s national soil health program, implemented through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, which aims to improve soil quality and boost agricultural production.

The mobile laboratory tests soil chemistry, physical structure, microbiology, and water quality, and provides tailored recommendations on fertilizer type, quantity and timing through soil health reports and soil cards.

The mobile soil laboratory is currently in Pangasinan, where experts are conducting sampling, testing, and capacity-building activities. (PNA)