Soil Yatra 2025: Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria flags off mobile soil testing van; vehicle to tour more than 18,000 villages

Dr M S Bhullar, Director, Extension Education, PAU, said, “This is not just a vehicle – it is a mobile revolution bringing science to the soil. It’s the kind of innovation that can transform how farmers manage their land, increase productivity, and reduce dependency on harmful chemicals.”

Dr T S Riar, Principal Investigator, PABI-PAU, and Dr Poonam A Sachdev, Co-Principal Investigator, Punjab Agri Business Incubator (PABI), emphasized the empowerment angle, saying, “This campaign highlights how women-led enterprises are shaping India’s future in agri-tech. It’s inspiring to see a woman entrepreneur take the lead in transforming rural livelihoods through science and sustainability.”

The Soil Yatra is supported by a consortium of institutions, including IISER Mohali, NSRCEL IIM-B, Nexus UConn, and Startup Punjab, among others. The van, designed to conduct on-the-spot soil tests and offer customised reports, will help in guiding farmers on ideal crop and fertiliser use, thereby promoting regenerative farming and soil conservation. “This is more than a campaign – it’s a soil revolution for Bharat,” said a PAU expert.