ABOUT OUR GIS & SOIL SCIENCE LABORATORY
Pioneering precision agriculture, remote sensing analytics, in-situ root profiling, and digital soil health diagnostics across the temperate agricultural ecosystems of Jammu & Kashmir.
15,000+
Soil & Water Tests
High-precision analytical profiling for growers, researchers, and government agricultural programs.
50+
Active Field Trials
Longitudinal agronomic research spanning automated rainout shelters and precision nutrient plots.
4
UAV & Sensor Fleets
Multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal aerial imaging platforms with sub-centimeter ground resolution.
100+
Scholarly Theses
M.Sc. and Ph.D. dissertations conducted utilizing Division of Soil Science laboratory infrastructure.
Empowering Agriculture Through Precision Soil Diagnostics
The Division of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry at SKUAST-Kashmir delivers accredited wet chemistry, proximal spectral sensing, and precision GIS mapping to sustain long-term soil health and productivity.
Precision Analytical Diagnostics
Equipping growers and orchardists with rapid, sub-ppm soil, water, and foliar laboratory testing.
Drone & GIS Spatial Modeling
Mapping spatial and temporal soil nutrient dynamics using drone multispectral and GIS interpolation.
Climate-Resilient Agronomy
Developing adaptive crop management and drought tolerance protocols for temperate Himalayan zones.
Postgraduate Academic Training
Fostering next-generation master's and doctoral research in digital soil science and geospatial tech.
A Leading Himalayan Hub for Digital Soil & Agronomy Twins
Bridging field-scale farm operations with automated aerial telemetry, IoT sensors, and high-throughput spectrometry to future-proof valley agriculture against emerging climate volatility.
Premier Himalayan AgTech Hub
Establishing SKUAST-Kashmir as the leading northern Himalayan center for digital precision agriculture.
In-Situ Sensor & Digital Twins
Integrating real-time root zone profiling and IoT moisture telemetry into predictive crop digital twins.
Automated Phenotyping Trials
Standardizing motorized rainout shelter infrastructure for drought kinetics and cultivar resilience.
Actionable Advisory Translation
Translating benchtop ICP-OES and spectral findings into personalized, localized farmer fertilizer advisories.
What Sets Our Laboratory Apart
Combining laboratory-grade analytical wet chemistry with field-scale robotics and spatial machine learning algorithms.
UAV & Satellite Remote Sensing
Multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal aerial surveys capturing vegetation indices (NDVI, NDRE, CWSI) at millimetric ground resolution.
Analytical Soil & Water Chemistry
Automated benchtop spectrophotometry, ICP-OES elemental quantification, SMP buffer pH, and comprehensive heavy metal testing.
Digital Soil Mapping & Variable Rate GIS
Geostatistical spatial interpolation, elevation modeling, and prescription fertilizer mapping to eliminate over-application and runoff.
Rainout Shelter Drought Trials
Motorized automated rainout shelters equipped with minirhizotron optical root cameras and continuous in-situ moisture sensors.
State-of-the-Art Analytical Instrumentation
Our Shalimar facility houses advanced analytical suites supporting accredited soil, plant tissue, and agricultural water diagnostics.
ICP-OES Spectrometry Suite
Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry for simultaneous sub-ppm detection of macro, micro, and toxic trace elements.
Flame Atomic Absorption (AAS)
High-precision hollow cathode lamp spectrophotometer dedicated to exchangeable bases and soil cation exchange capacity (CEC).
Automated Rainout Shelters
Motorized steel rainout shelters activated by precision rain sensors for uninterrupted controlled drought stress experiments.
LECO CN Combustion Analyzer
High-temperature furnace combustion determining total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen in soil and plant tissue.
Scientific Investigators & Faculty
Meet our principal investigators and senior scientists directing cutting-edge field and laboratory research.
Prof. (Dr.) Farooq Ahmad Lone
Head & Professor
Ph.D. Soil Chemistry, Post-DocDivision of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry
Soil Fertility, Mineral Nutrition & Heavy Metal Dynamics
Dr. In-Charge GIS & RS Unit
Senior Soil Scientist & Principal Investigator
Ph.D. Agronomy & Precision AgricultureGIS, Drone & Precision Agronomy Laboratory
UAV Multispectral Phenotyping, In-Situ Sensor Networks & GIS
Dr. Analytical Laboratory Coordinator
Senior Scientific Officer
Ph.D. Agricultural ChemistryICP-OES & Elemental Analysis Facility
Spectrophotometry, Micronutrient Extraction & Water Diagnostics
