We built a $10 soil test, then a virtual reality platform to take it around the world

Last year in The Conversation Canada, we described Agrilo, an affordable “colorimetric” soil-testing system developed through research at MacEwan University. Using a smartphone camera to interpret colour changes, Agrilo measures soil nutrients and can provide farmers with timely guidance to support fertilizer decisions. Our goal was to make practical soil information more accessible — so farmers could use fertilizer more efficiently, improve crop productivity and reduce unnecessary…