Enfarm diagnoses and prescribes soil

Enfarm was born with the concern that 60% of fertilizer is not absorbed by plants. Meanwhile, fertilizer is contributing up to 5% of total greenhouse gas emissions.

The origin of this platform is the handshake between environmental science doctor Ho Long Phi (left) and urban planning expert Nguyen Do Dung - Photo: NVCC

Soil nutrition measurement and consulting technology is a product of enfarm agricultural technology company. The origin of this platform is the handshake between urban planning expert Nguyen Do Dung and environmental science doctor Ho Long Phi.

Enfarm accompanies farmers 24/7

Co-founder and General Director of enfarm Nguyen Do Dung expressed his belief and pride in the technology available. That technology helps farmers with dirty hands and feet become agricultural experts who thoroughly understand the soil.

They have a strong belief in a smart fertilization process, a platform connecting farmers with the market, which is also an important solution to increase farmers' income. At the same time, it ensures green and sustainable agricultural development.

Mr. Dung shared his concerns about soil, fertilizers, green agriculture and sustainable development when talking with Tuoi Tre Online .

With the application of Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), enfarm researches and develops smart fertilization technology equipment solutions. Currently, enfarm is producing two types of equipment, handheld equipment and equipment for farms over 10 hectares.

By applying the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), enfarm focuses on researching and developing smart fertilizer technology equipment solutions.

The numbers speak for themselves.

- Fertilizer accounts for 35% of farmers' farming costs (According to USDS, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, 2022).

- 60% of the fertilizer used is not absorbed by plants (research by Xing Yu et al., 2022).

- Approximately $120 billion is wasted globally due to ineffective fertilization (Zion Market Research calculation, 2022).

- 34% of global arable land is degraded mainly due to overfertilization (Gebremedhin et al., 2022).

- 2.6 gigatons of greenhouse gases are emitted from fertilizers, accounting for 5% of total global greenhouse gases (Gao and Serrenho study, 2023).

The device integrates sensors to collect information and is embedded deep into the ground. The device records and transmits data to the server system every 15 minutes.

AI is responsible for evaluating the criteria of four components: soil, water, plants and fertilizer. From there, it provides specific solutions such as what fertilizer to apply, how much, when to apply and how much water to water... all over the phone.

"We leverage machine learning technology and user data to convert sensor signals into NPK indicators. The accuracy is comparable to that of a laboratory," said Mr. Dung.

But the soil in each region will be different. Therefore, the nutritional content will also be different. Not to mention the plants grown on it are also not the same.

These are issues that enfarm has anticipated. In order for the device to measure, calculate and make correct diagnoses and recommendations, everything must be based on scientific basis to the huge data warehouse that enfarm has collected and built for a long time.

Enfarm can calibrate soil characteristics and each type of perennial industrial crop such as coffee, durian, and dragon fruit, which are widely grown in Vietnam.

As a Vietnamese technology produced by Vietnamese people, up to now this is the only technology on the market that provides advice to farmers in Vietnamese. That is also the reason why many people compare enfarm to "AI doctor accompanying farmers 24/7".

A very new and different feature that has been successfully integrated into enfarm is the ability to provide essential advice to help farmers increase their income - Photo: NVCC

Increase economic value of agricultural products despite low prices

A very new and different feature, Mr. Dung proudly said, is that it has been successfully integrated into enfarm when it can provide essential advice to help farmers increase their income.

Actual data was conducted by enfarm at 2 cooperatives and 10 farming households on 1,000 hectares of coffee in Dak Lak. The result is a 20% increase in productivity with the same or up to 50% less fertilizer and AI pest diagnosis, market price forecasting...

"Increasing productivity by 20% with the same investment cost can bring gardeners a significant amount of money. On the other hand, if the soil environment is improved, less polluted, and greener, the world will have a different view of Vietnamese agricultural products," Mr. Dung shared.

Enfarm also integrates many other functions such as weather forecasting, providing information on humidity, pH, irrigation levels and plant health, farm management...

Seven soil indicators, including three NPK fertilizer indicators, humidity, pH, conductivity and temperature are measured by enfarm and reported to the host phone.

Not only that, enfarm can also identify pests using AI. Specifically, just take a picture of the leaves and stems of the tree, the application will tell you what pests the tree is suffering from and how to solve it. That is one of the positive things created by technology owned by Vietnamese people.

In the future, farmers can use this tool to register for green, clean, organic agriculture certifications...

Products of the same line and similar functions from many countries are also available at the same price range: 1,500 USD (China), 3,000 USD (USA), 9,000 USD (Malaysia).

Enfarm is currently renting out the equipment for about 5.1 million VND/ha per year. In return, it will receive information on seven soil indicators including three NPK fertilizer indicators, moisture, pH, conductivity and temperature.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/enfarm-bat-benh-ke-toa-cho-dat-20241024164752926.htm