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

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · · 1022 words · By Mohammed Elmorsy; Samuel Mugo
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What to know about We built a $10 soil test, then a virtual reality platform to take it around the world

The authors describe Agrilo, an affordable soil-testing system, and the development of Agrilo VR, a virtual reality training platform intended to standardize its use. The article argues that combining affordable technology with scalable, simulated training can overcome barriers to the adoption of precision agriculture.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 11
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Last year in The Conversation Canada, we described Agrilo, an affordable “colorimetric” soil-testing system developed through research at MacEwan University.

Why it matters

Using a smartphone camera to interpret colour changes, Agrilo measures soil nutrients and can provide farmers with timely guidance to support fertilizer decisions.

Common ground

Our goal was to make practical soil information more accessible — so farmers could use fertilizer more efficiently, improve crop productivity and reduce unnecessary environmental impacts.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

The authors describe Agrilo, an affordable soil-testing system, and the development of Agrilo VR, a virtual reality training platform intended to standardize its use. The article argues that combining affordable technology with scalable, simulated training can overcome barriers to the adoption of precision agriculture.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/we-built-a-10-soil-test-then-a-virtual-reality-platf…

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6
info Single Source 4
schedule Pending 1
info
Claim 1: “Agrilo VR runs on a Meta Quest headset”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that it runs on a Meta Quest headset is only present in the cross-reference/original text and is not confirmed by the provided web search results.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Agrilo VR runs on a Meta Quest headset
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-soil-global-virtual-reality-fa…
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Claim 2: “Agrilo, an affordable “colorimetric” soil-testing system developed through research at MacEwan University.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources, including MacEwan University's own site and news articles from The Conversation Canada and Immersive Technology, confirm Agrilo is a colorimetric soil-testing system developed at MacEwan University.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 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 col…
https://theconversation.com/we-built-a-10-soil-test-then-a-v…
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web search NEUTRAL — At MacEwan University, through our spin-out company PimaSens, we have developed Agrilo — a low-cost soil testing sensor paired with a smartphone app.
https://www.macewan.ca/campus-life/news/2025/09/conversation…
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web search NEUTRAL — Agrilo, an affordable colourimetric soil-testing system developed through research at MacEwan University, is being paired with a virtual reality training platform designed to support wider adoption an…
https://immersive-technology.com/virtualreality/10-agrilo-so…
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 3: “Using a smartphone camera to interpret colour changes, Agrilo measures soil nutrients”
CORROBORATED
The use of a smartphone camera to interpret color changes for nutrient measurement is confirmed by multiple independent sources including The Conversation Canada, Immersive Technology, and the Agrilo app description.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Using a smartphone camera to interpret color changes, Agrilo measures soil nutrients and can provide farmers with timely guidance to support fertilizer decisions.
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-soil-global-virtual-reality-fa…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The soil-testing system uses a smartphone camera to interpret colour changes. It measures soil nutrients and can provide farmers with timely guidance to support fertiliser decisions.
https://immersive-technology.com/virtualreality/10-agrilo-so…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Agrilo is a smart mobile app that simplifies soil testing by using advanced colorimetry sensor technology. Designed for farmers, agronomists, and home gardeners, Agrilo analyzes soil samples by interp…
https://apkpure.com/agrilo-agriculture/com.pimasens.agriloag…
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 4: “we developed Agrilo VR, a virtual reality training platform designed to support the wider adoption and standardized use of the soil-testing system.”
CORROBORATED
The development of Agrilo VR as a training platform for the soil-testing system is confirmed by The Conversation Canada and Immersive Technology.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — So we developed Agrilo VR, a virtual reality training platform designed to support the wider adoption and standardized use of the soil-testing system.
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-soil-global-virtual-reality-fa…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Home › Virtual Reality › $10 Agrilo Soil Test Gains VR Training Support.Agrilo VR was developed to support that process. The platform allows farmers, students and field operators to practise the compl…
https://immersive-technology.com/virtualreality/10-agrilo-so…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — So we developed Agrilo VR, a virtual reality training platform designed to support the wider adoption and standardized use of the soil-testing system.
https://theconversation.com/we-built-a-10-soil-test-then-a-v…
info
Claim 5: “Only about one-quarter of respondents had adopted any precision tool.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific statistic (one-quarter adoption) is not corroborated by any of the provided web search or Wikipedia results; it only appears in the original claim context.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Kentucky River is a tributary of the Ohio River in Kentucky, United States. The 260-mile (420 km) river and its tributaries drain much of eastern and central Kentucky, passing through the Eastern …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_River
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kentucky (US: , UK: ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virgin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — UPS Airlines Flight 2976 was a scheduled domestic cargo flight in the United States from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, to Honolulu, Hawaii. On November 4, 2025…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPS_Airlines_Flight_2976
+ 4 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 6: “The platform is being evaluated and demonstrated across locations that include KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, Medicine Hat in Alberta, Costa Rica’s San Carlos and Nairobi.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 7: “A 2025 survey of small farmers in Kentucky found that cost was the most-cited barrier to adopting the tools of precision agriculture.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the claim appears in the provided text and one web search result (which mirrors the article's phrasing), there is no independent verification from a primary survey report or a second independent news organization. The Wikipedia results provided are about the Kentucky Derby and a tornado, not agriculture.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 Kentucky Derby (branded as the 151st Running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve for sponsorship reasons) was the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby. It took place on May 3, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Kentucky_Derby
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In the late evening hours of May 16, 2025, a large and deadly nocturnal EF4 tornado moved through the western Cumberland Plateau, impacting the Kentucky cities of Somerset and London. The tornado, whi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Somerset–London_tornado
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 United States Senate election in Kentucky will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Kentucky. Republican congressman Andy Barr …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_elec…
+ 4 more evidence sources
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Claim 8: “Agrilo uses a structured seven-stage testing protocol that guides users through soil preparation, reagent mixing, timing and colour measurement.”
CORROBORATED
The specific seven-stage testing protocol (soil preparation, reagent mixing, timing, and color measurement) is explicitly mentioned in both The Conversation Canada and a separate news source.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Agrilo uses a structured seven-stage testing protocol that guides users through soil preparation, reagent mixing, timing and color measurement.
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-soil-global-virtual-reality-fa…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Agrilo uses a structured seven-stage testing protocol that guides users through soil preparation, reagent mixing, timing and colour measurement.Agrilo VR allows farmers, students and field operators t…
https://theconversation.com/we-built-a-10-soil-test-then-a-v…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Agrilo is a precision agriculture solution developed by PimaSens Inc. It combines low-cost soil sensors, AI-powered analytics, and real-time nutrient monitor...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlrNrLubVlw
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 9: “Reducing the cost of soil testing to approximately $10 can make routine testing considerably more accessible.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (The Conversation Canada, Immersive Technology) refer to the system as a '$10 soil test', corroborating the cost claim.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Reducing the cost of soil testing to approximately $10 can make routine testing considerably more accessible.
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-soil-global-virtual-reality-fa…
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Claim 10: “The Agrilo VR platform is an international collaboration between our team at MacEwan University and the research group led by Dr. Abel Méndez Porras at Tecnológico de Costa Rica’s San Carlos campus.”
CORROBORATED
The collaboration between MacEwan University and Dr. Abel Méndez Porras at Tecnológico de Costa Rica is confirmed by LinkedIn (Faculty of Arts and Science) and the researcher's own profile.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Developed through a collaboration between MacEwan University and Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC), the course was co-taught by Dr. Mohammed Elmorsy (MacEwan University) and Dr. Abel Méndez Porras (TEC)…
https://ca.linkedin.com/company/macewan-university-faculty-o…
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web search NEUTRAL — Abel Méndez-Porras is an academic researcher from Costa Rica Institute of Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Spectrum analyzer & Renewable energy. The author has an hindex o…
https://scispace.com/authors/abel-mendez-porras-57041l66g9
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — school admissions representatives through programs and initiatives.
https://app.joinhandshake.com/
+ 1 more evidence source
info
Claim 11: “A meta-analysis published in Precision Agriculture reached a similar conclusion: technical literacy and advisory support are among the strongest predictors of adoption.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim mentions a meta-analysis in 'Precision Agriculture', but the provided search results do not contain the text of such a meta-analysis confirming these specific predictors. The results are generic or unrelated.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Digital agriculture, sometimes known as smart farming or e-agriculture, are tools that digitally collect, store, analyze, and share electronic data and/or information in agriculture. The Food and Agri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_agriculture
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Precision agriculture is a management strategy that gathers, processes and analyzes temporal, spatial and individual plant and animal data and combines it with other information to support management …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_agriculture
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rajiv Khosla (born 1971) is an Indian-American Scientist and Professor of precision agriculture. He is best known for his work on measurement and management of in-field soil and crop spatial variabili…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiv_Khosla
+ 4 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.