The Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas, through its Integrated Laboratories Division, will roll out its mobile soil laboratory (MSL) in the first district of Iloilo this week.

In a deployment activity and technical advisory for farmers on Monday, Integrated Laboratories Division officer-in-charge Chief, Dr. Lerisa Balopeños said the activity hosted by the municipality of Guimbal on Dec. 9 to 12 is their first deployment.

Balopeños said the deployment will be a crucial one and will involve all their soil scientists, with a target release of results in three days.

The activity aims to provide site-specific fertilizer recommendations based on soil analysis, capacitate farmers and agricultural extension workers on soil and nutrient management, update soil health and soil fertility map data, and monitor soil chemical, physical, and biological parameters.

Adaptive balance fertilization strategy (ABFS), crop protection, and weather/adaptation and mitigation initiatives in agriculture will also be provided.

For now, Balopeños said the MSL is equipped to test soil parameters for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and acidity or alkalinity.

“We will try to offer more soil parameters next year,” she said.

She added they target to deploy the MSL in other provinces of Western Visayas after they have completed Iloilo.

She said the tests have to coincide with the planting season to determine the fertilizers needed for their type of soil.

Meanwhile, James Earl Ogatis, chief of the agri-fishery information section, said that starting next year, their agricultural information caravan will now become an agricultural services caravan.

Instead of technical persons, he will bring the MSL, an agricultural information provider, mobile disinfection vehicle, and the regional crop protection vehicle (mobile pest and disease laboratory) to the local government units. (PNA)