A new application for better management of agricultural soils:
measuring, assessing and preserving biodiversity
BioFuncTool is a kit of 9 field tools, developed by IRD and CIRAD researchers.
It uses a set of twelve indicators to measure three essential functions
for soil fertility and sustainability in situ.
Decomposition
of organic matter
- Labile carbon
- Microbial activity
- Mesofauna activity
- Macrofauna activities
Nutrient cycling
(N, P and K)
- Direct analysis of phosphorus ions
- Direct analysis of bioavailable mineral N (nitrate and ammonium) and K in soil
Preservation of the soil structure
- Stability of aggregates
- In situ water infiltration
- Soil structure
BioFuncTool is aimed at all field actors in the value chain who wish to measure soil health and measure the impact on soil health of changes in practices.
BiofuncTool is a digital solution consisting of a mobile field application and a web application in SaaS (software as a service) mode that allows non-specialists to measure soil functions without going through the often more time-consuming and expensive laboratory stage.
Data collection and in situ measurement of soil health indicators
- Geolocation of plots
- Recording of the agro-climatic context (soil data, practices, weather, etc.)
- Step-by-step guide to the measurement process
- Recording and viewing of samples
- Geolocation of soil samples
- Characterisation of the field topology (photos)
In situ evaluation of indicators
BioFuncTool provides analyses for evaluating:
- Nutrient cycles in the soil
- Carbon stabilisation in the soil
- Preservation of soil structure
Why choose BioFuncTool?
Geo-referenced
Data produced at the plot level
Centralized, geo-referenced, reliable and up-to-date measurements
- Simple and understandable results for non-specialists
- Data accessible via the web or the mobile/tablet application
- Visualisation of the evolution of soil quality over time
Full connectivity
Connected/disconnected mode
for all network types:
2G/3G/4G/Wi-Fi
Disconnected mode
- Accessible offline on smartphones and tablets
- Indicator evaluations independent of the network connection
Accessibility
Faster and cheaper in situ measurements
Accessible measurements and faster results
- In situ and laboratory independent measurements
- Rapid assessment with field measurements and results
Deployed as SaaS
Accessible 24/7
for real-time communication
Already proven in actual practice
- Used in different agro-climatic contexts in France, Asia and Africa
- Numerous soil experiments in Thailand in rubber plantations, forests and intensive cash crops (cassava and sugarcane)
The results show that the BioFuncTool® index provides an aggregate synthetic score of soil functioning that is sensitive to land management and robust under a variety of soil and climatic conditions.
Field experiments demonstrate that BiofuncTool is a reliable and relevant descriptor of integrated soil management and can be a tool for environmental impact assessment on a regional and global scale.
Témoignage
Advice
Ragoudwa OTIENO
« Je peux plus facilement communiquer avec les agriculteurs et leur fournir des recommandations en temps réel, pendant la saison. L’application m’aide à mettre en place des méthodes de conduite personnalisées tout en atteignant plus d’agriculteurs, plus efficacement »
Ragoudwa OTIENO
« I can more easily communicate with farmers and provide real-time recommendations throughout the season. The app helps me implement customized driving methods while reaching more farmers, more efficiently. »