NZLoop Unveils AI-Powered Soil Passport App Integrating Satellite Data to Combat Global Soil Degradation
LONDON, UK – 20 AUGUST, 2026 – UK-based climate technology company NZLOOP has launched the alpha version of its Soil Passport Farmer App in Nabarangpur, Odisha, India, a predominantly tribal district of Odisha, as part of a research programme involving around 5,000 farmers and six farmer procurement groups. The initiative combines digital technology, satellite data and physical soil testing to provide farmers with more accessible and actionable information about soil health.
The alpha version of the Soil Passport platform was unveiled in the presence of Dr Mukesh Mahaling, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of Odisha; Shri Gouri Shankar Majhi, MLA from Nabarangpur; Shri Kunu Nayak, Chairman of Nabarangpur Municipality; and Shri Niranjan Pattnayak, Founder of HEART (HEALTH, EDUCATION, AGRICULTURE, RESEARCH FOR TRIBALS) trust.
Speaking to the media, NZLOOP’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Bibhuti Bhusan Pattnayak FRSA, said the Alpha version would initially be validated by 100 farmers in Nabarangpur, Odisha. Their feedback will be used to refine and improve the platform before it is expanded further. The Beta version is scheduled for release on 2nd October 2026. The project represents a collaboration between UK scientific and climate expertise and farming communities in one of India’s tribal regions, with the aim of developing practical tools to address challenges in global soil health and sustainable agriculture.
The Nabarangpur research programme is intended to place farmers at the centre of the technology-development process. NZLOOP says the district is providing an important real-world environment in which the platform can be tested, evaluated and improved through direct farmer participation and feedback.
The collaboration also represents a wider Global North-South partnership, bringing together scientific and technological knowledge from the UK with local agricultural knowledge and experience in Nabarangpur. NZLOOP says the partnership demonstrates how international expertise can be combined with local communities to develop solutions to a global soil-health challenge.
A Digital Passport for Every Farm
The Soil Passport Farmer App is designed to create a lifelong digital “passport” for each farm parcel, bringing together information about soil, climate, vegetation and farming practices in a single digital platform.
The system combines satellite observations, historical climatic data, physical soil testing and farmer-generated information. The soil-testing device measures eight parameters: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, temperature, pH, salinity, electrical conductivity and moisture.
Farmers can also provide information about crop history, seed varieties and irrigation practices. NZLOOP says these different data sources are analysed using AI to generate recommendations tailored to individual soil and climatic conditions.
The recommendations are intended to support decisions on crop and seed selection, fertiliser application, pesticide use and soil-improvement measures.
Satellite Data and AI
The technological core of the Soil Passport platform is its multi-layered data approach. Satellite observations can provide information on vegetation, land-surface temperature, Soil organic carbon and moisture, while historical climate data can help identify rainfall variability, drought frequency and seasonal patterns.
Physical soil measurements provide information from the field, while farmer-generated data adds local knowledge and information about agricultural practices.
NZLOOP says combining these sources allows its AI system to move beyond conventional, sample-based soil testing and develop a more detailed picture of individual farm conditions.
The company says the platform is designed to generate comprehensive soil-health reports in less than one hour, at subsidised rates. Its performance and accuracy will be assessed during the farmer validation programme.
Mr Manohar Balanki, Chief Technology Officer of NZLOOP, who is from Nabarangpur and has more than two decades of global technology experience, said the combination of data sources was central to the system.
“We are layering AI models with satellite observations, historical climatic patterns, physical soil testing and, crucially, the farmer’s own on-ground input. This multi-dimensional approach ensures our recommendations are data-rich, precise and continuously improving.”
Farmer validation
The alpha version will initially be tested with 100 farmers, followed by a planned expansion to 1,000 farmers and eventually 5,000 farmers across Nabarangpur district.
NZLOOP says more than 5,000 farmers have already registered their interest in the platform ahead of the beta release.
The company has set a target of onboarding 50,000 farmers by the end of 2027, with plans to expand the initiative across Odisha and subsequently to other parts of India, subject to the results of the research and validation programme.
The feedback collected during the initial phases will be used to identify technical improvements and assess how useful the platform is to farmers in everyday agricultural decision-making.
Addressing the global soil-health challenge
Soil degradation is an increasing concern for agriculture, with implications for food production, climate resilience and rural livelihoods.
NZLOOP says the Soil Passport platform is intended to help farmers make more informed decisions about soil nutrients and agricultural inputs, while maintaining a long-term digital record of changes in soil conditions.
The company says the platform could help address nutrient depletion, excessive fertiliser use, declining soil organic carbon and the impact of drought and other climate stresses.
Dr Pattnayak, said the company’s broader objective was to support the restoration of soil health.
“We should restore every soil. Our aim is simple: restore the soil, reduce fertiliser, deliver nutrient-rich food.”
He said the research in Nabarangpur could provide a foundation for deploying AI-driven soil intelligence in other agricultural regions.
From Nabarangpur to the world
The Soil Passport project seeks to answer practical questions faced by farmers: what nutrients their soil needs, how much fertiliser should be applied, which crop or seed variety is most suitable, and how agricultural practices can be adapted to changing climate conditions.
By bringing together satellite intelligence, physical soil testing, climate information, farmer knowledge and AI, NZLOOP aims to move soil management towards a more continuous and data-driven approach.
The company sees the Nabarangpur initiative as a potential model for Global North-South scientific collaboration—where international expertise and local knowledge are combined to develop technology that can be tested locally and potentially scaled globally.
About NZLOOP
NZLOOP is a climate and agri-tech platform company headquartered in London, UK, with NZLOOP Solutions Pvt. Ltd. **as its strategic partner in India. The company works across agritech, climate technology, artificial intelligence, satellite intelligence and soil science, developing solutions to address global challenges such as soil degradation, climate change, food security and sustainable agriculture. Its flagship global product, Soil Passport, combines AI, satellite and remote-sensing data, climate information, physical soil testing and farmer-generated data to create a digital identity for every farm parcel and deliver actionable intelligence for better soil and farm management.
NZLOOP’s model brings together Global North scientific and technological expertise with Global South agricultural knowledge and field experience. Through NZLOOP Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and its research collaboration with farming communities in Nabarangpur, Odisha, the company is testing and refining Soil Passport in real-world agricultural conditions. The aim is to develop a globally scalable platform that can help farmers restore soil health, use agricultural inputs more efficiently, improve climate resilience and contribute to a more sustainable food system.
More information: https://www.nzloop.com
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