Commerce & Industry Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman launched Rubber Soil Information System (RubSIS), an online system for recommending application of appropriate mix of fertilizers to the specific plantations of rubber growers depending upon their soil nature in New Delhi yesterday. Smt Rita Teaotia, Commerce Secretary and other senior officials of the Ministry and Rubber Board were present at the occasion.

RubSIS, developed by Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) under the Rubber Board in collaboration with three agencies viz Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala, National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, ICAR and National Remote Sensing Center, ISRO, brings soil data to the fingerprints of rubber growers and recommends the optimum mix and quantities of chemical fertilizers that his holding requires. It is a cost effective tool for sustainable &scientific management of rubber growing soils. Apart from preventing indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and soil degradation, adoption of RubSIS will lead to reduction in the cost of production of rubber, increase in productivity and reduction in environmental pollution.

The scientific and user friendly online fertiliser recommendation system was launched for Kottayam (Kerela), the largest rubber growing district of India which will be extended to the entire traditional rubber growing region i.e. the states of Kerela and Tamilnadu this year.

Soil management tool: online fertiliser recommendations tailored to plantation soil to promote sustainable agriculture and reduce production costs. Launch of Rubber Soil Information System (RubSIS), an online fertiliser recommendation platform that uses integrated soil survey, land-use and remote-sensing data to provide site-specific chemical fertiliser mixes and quantities for rubber growers, aiming to prevent indiscriminate fertiliser use, reduce soil degradation and environmental pollution, lower production costs, and increase productivity; initially deployed in Kottayam with planned extension across Kerala and Tamil Nadu.