Soil Analysis Technology Market

Soil Analysis Technology Market Outlook (2022-2032)

The global soil analysis technology market is set to be worth US$ 684 Mn in 2022, and estimated to surpass a valuation of US$ 1.26 Bn by the end of 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 6.3% from 2022 to 2032.

As per the latest industry analysis by Fact.MR, revenue from soil analysis technology accounted for around 5.7% share in the global environmental testing market in 2021.

Report Attributes	Details
Market Size (2021A)	US$ 647.6 Mn
Estimated Year Value (2022E)	US$ 684.1 Mn
Projected Year Value (2032F)	US$ 1.26 Bn
Global Market Growth Rate (2022-2032)	6.3% CAGR
Europe Market Share (2021)	~31.7%
East Asia Growth Rate (2022-2032)	7.4% CAGR
Top 5 Companies’ Market Share (2021)	~38%
Key Companies Profiled	ALS Ltd Bureau Veritas Eurofins Scientific SGS SA Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Increase in pollution and natural soil erosion have boosted the revenue of agricultural testing market across the globe. Soil analysis technology plays an important role in improving land quality by inspecting the soil with regards to whether the soil conditions are suitable for agricultural activities. Materials such as lime are used in the neutralization of pH where the soil is acidic.

Soil analysis or soil testing services are confined to some specific regions. With advancements in technology, the reliability of off-site soil testing centers will increase in the future.

The roadmap of technology will change and new cost-effective methods for the synthesis of soil testing will emerge. With the rise in industrial infrastructure in rural areas across the globe, demand for soil testing equipment is likely to grow due to concerns about industrial runoffs and waste.

Global Soil Analysis Market Analysis (2017-2021) in Comparison to Growth Forecasts (2021-2032)

Global soil testing equipment market growth was around 2.4% during the historical period (2017-2021). Due to COVID-19 pandemic, sales witnessed a slump and fell around 6% in 2020. However, stringent regulations and increasing globalization have made it compulsory for farmers to frequently keep a check on the quality of soil.

Rising awareness amongst end users about the quantitative assurance provided by international quality and safety standards is key to the increasing prominence of inspection, testing, and certification services. Such regulations, besides globalization, is expected to boost the sales of soil analysis technology by 1.8X over the decade.

Why is the Need for Soil Analysis Technology Rising?

“Surging Infrastructure across Regions to Bolster Soil Analysis Demand”

Significant infrastructure spending as a result of numerous development projects being undertaken, supplemented by multiple government projects inviting foreign direct investments, is expected to create a revival path for economic recovery in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Demand for new infrastructure and increased spending on sustaining the current infrastructure have been observed in fast-growing countries such as China, India, Brazil, and South Africa. This is expected to create an absolute $ opportunity of US$ 613.3 Mn over the period of 2022-2032.

In developed economies such as the U.S. and Europe, aging infrastructure attracts investments for improvement programs. This will lead to requirements for routine soil testing to match clients’ requirements.

• For instance, there have been about 139 M&A deals in the construction industry from 2013 to 2021, and the value of cross-border deals has been stable at 16%.
• Moreover, the U.S. plans to spend around US$ 2 trillion over the next 10 years to meet the potential renovation cost of ageing infrastructure.

Thereby, there remains scope for increased infrastructure spending, which will directly affect soil analysis technology market growth to test soil across regions.

“Soil Analysis Technology Demand to Increase from Golf Courses”

Soil analysis is vital for golf courses as it helps determine the most efficient and effective turf grass through management programs. Currently, there are more than 38,000 golf courses across the world. However, with new projects coming up, golf courses are also required to maintain their lawn quality, which includes continued maintenance through soil testing and follow-up solutions.

• In 2021, the U.S. accounted for close to 15,500 golf courses, almost 41% of the world’s golf courses.

Increasing disposable income has led to a rise in the number of golf players across the world. Growing sports culture is leading to a rise in the construction of new golf courses and other stadiums, providing potential revenue generation opportunity for soil analysis technology providers.

How Can Soil Analysis Technology Market Growth Get Hampered?

“Lack of Certified Soil Inspectors & High Testing Costs May Hinder Revenue Generation”

One of the potential challenges in the soil testing equipment market is the lack of certified and qualified soil inspectors across the world. The number of soil evaluators and system inspectors is low as compared to the number of tests that need to be conducted.

With a lack of certified inspectors, data inspection is sometimes not accurate and can also lead to misinterpretation of the data. Further, these inspectors or evaluators are not updated on current technologies, which leads to a lack of accuracy in the whole process.

Certification costs include certification fees, charges for annual inspections, and also additional costs associated with implementing the requirements of the certification. These include control systems, traceability structures, technical assistance, and infrastructure.

In some cases, farmers need to bear all the certification costs, which can be difficult due to their limited finances. Certification costs are especially high where European- or U.S.-based certifiers are involved. Further, day rates of inspectors are high and the inspections can last for several days, raising overall costs, leading to a drop in service revenue.

Which Region is Set to Showcase Exceptional Growth in the Soil Testing Services Market?

Europe is projected to remain as one of the most attractive markets over the forecast period. The region consists of more than 123,121,820 hectares of arable land, and is expected to account for around near to 31.7% of global revenue in 2022.

Many regional companies are providing on-site soil testing with mobile soil lab services as the latest trends in soil analysis technology in Europe. Farmers get samples to the lab when the vehicle arrives in their village. The lab contains all the equipment required for the tests, including different sensor tests.

Soil information gathered with these sensors is sent to a central computer where the data is analyzed and field-specific recommendations are deduced and get stored in a soil data management system.

Such activities across the continent are likely to reach a market valuation of US$ 396.7 Mn by the end of 2032.

Country-wise Insights

Will Rising Interest in Environmental Preservation Drive Fair Trade & Sustainability Soil Certification in China?

Although China’s agricultural industry is matured, certified and label products have the potential for explorative growth. Moreover, along with certified products, emphasis has been laid down on social and environmental benefits, thus supporting market growth for soil testing, which is expected to reach a market valuation of US$ 218.7 Mn by 2032.

Environmental pollution in China has accompanied industrialization, leading to high destruction of soil in the country. The effects are becoming more obvious as the country’s climate is changing. Particularly in China, farmers have been using large amounts of chemical soil testing for fertilizers from decades.

Why is Japan Gaining Traction in AI Soil Analysis Technology?

In Japan, there is a three-tier structure for soil testing. Facilities such as simple soil testing are approved by agricultural companies, which offer their members with information on the major chemical properties of the soil, including soil fertility and nutrient tests.

Detailed soil testing is carried out by agricultural extension offices. Most soil testing services are covered under government schemes in the country, and this has led to the low cost of these services in the country.

Japan is projected to hold around 12.6% market share by 2032.

Category-wise Insights

What is Leading to Rising Demand for Fertilizer Testing?

Frequent need to check soil fertility in the farming sector, especially in regions such as Latin America, East Asia, and South Asia to increase yield production, is one of the vital factors improving the demand for soil analysis. Regular testing of soil fertility by agricultural consultants to scrutinize the proportion of nutrients and other parameters is leading to increased sales.

Moreover, increasing consumption of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers and their quality inspection is creating opportunities for soil analysis system providers to capture a significant market share.

Owing to aforementioned factors, fertility testing is expected to hold a market share of 33% in 2032 and expand at a high CAGR of 7.2% over the forecast period.

Will Stringent Regulations Pertaining to Nutrient Content of Crops Aid Market Growth of Nutrient Testing?

Soil analysis technology gives an idea about the health of soil and proper nutrition required by the crops. Often, while exporting, the nutrient value of crops needs to be checked, owing to regulations followed by specific countries. For this purpose, nutrient testing of soil is essential, which is likely to gain 152 BPS over the period of 2022-2032.

Also, some toxic gases are released into the atmosphere at the time of application of fertilizers. These can have adverse effects on the environment when in excess amounts. Hence, there are some regulations to prevent the release of toxic gases into the atmosphere.

Soil nutrient testing offers a clear picture about the nutrition requirement of soil. In this way, government regulations are also positively impacting the global market for nutrient testing.

Competitive Landscape: Top Companies in Soil Analysis Technology Market

Fact.MR evaluates that the soil analysis technology market is concentrated and tier-1 players held around 38% market share in 2021. Tier-1 players are focused on operation efficiency, reliability, and technological advancements in soil testing; however, tier-2 players are competing with competitive price points.

Demand for soil analysis technology is catered by tier-1 companies such as ALS Ltd, Merck KgaA, Eurofins Scientific, SGS SA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Bureau Veritas, Agilent Technologies, Inc., etc.

Key Developments:

• In 2021, AgroLab Inc. was acquired by Matrix Sciences Inc. This acquisition was to provide an expansion of services such as soil testing, pesticide testing, and more.
• In 2021, Waters Agricultural Laboratories, Inc. acquired a license for the Be-Crop, Biome Makers soil biology test.
• In 2019, ALS Limited divested its China-based environmental business to SUEZ Company.

Key Segments Covered in Soil Analysis Technology Industry Research

• By Technology:

  • Hardware and Devices
  • Applications and Platforms

• By Application:

  • Safety Testing
    • Heavy Metal Testing
    • Toxin Testing
    • Pathogen Testing
    • Pesticides Testing
  • Soil Fertility Testing
  • Nutrient Testing
  • Quality Assurance

• By End User:

  • Retail Users / Farmers
  • Agriculture Institutes and Research Centers
  • Universities and Colleges
  • Corporates and Companies
  • Government Departments

• By Region:

  • North America
  • Europe
  • Asia Pacific
  • Latin America
  • MEA