Sustainable Ceylon Tea: Rapid Soil Diagnostics & Nutrient Management
This project strengthens Sri Lanka’s tea sector by using rapid soil diagnostics and integrated nutrient management to improve productivity, reduce input dependency, and enhance environmental sustainability.
Factsheet
- Schools involved School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences
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Institute(s)
HAFL Institut Hugo P. Cecchini
Agriculture - Research unit(s) International Agriculture and Rural Development
- Funding organisation Others
- Duration (planned) 01.06.2026 - 31.05.2027
- Head of project Prof. Dr. Gurbir Singh Bhullar
- Project staff Prof. Dr. Gurbir Singh Bhullar
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Partner
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Leading House South Asia
University of Peradeniya and A. Baur & Co. - Keywords Sustainable production systems;Food and nutrition security, safety and quality;Society, policy and rural development;Climate change mitigation and adaptation;Capacity building;
Situation
Sri Lanka’s tea sector, a major contributor to national export income and rural livelihoods, faces persistent challenges related to soil fertility decline, dependency on synthetic fertilisers, and limited access to timely and affordable soil-testing services. These challenges compromise both productivity and environmental sustainability. This project addresses these constraints by evaluating the suitability of rapid soil diagnostic tools and by testing integrated nutrient management (INM) approaches that combine mineral fertilisers with organic amendments and biostimulants. The project implements coordinated on-station and on-farm trials to (i) assess the accuracy and reliability of portable soil scanners compared to accredited laboratory analyses, and (ii) determine the agronomic and economic impacts of INM relative to current farmer practices. Simultaneously a farmer survey will be conducted to capture knowledge gaps, decision-making processes, and adoption potential of soil diagnostic tools.
