bhoomini

Inspiration

In states like Telangana, paddy cultivation relies heavily on standing water. However, a massive amount of applied water is lost due to percolation—the downward movement of water through topsoil into underground rock fractures and crack networks[cite: 1]. In fact, up to 150,000 liters/acre/day percolates below the field surface, carrying water away to distant rock voids, deep underground layers, or off-site rivers[cite: 1].

In Telangana alone, percolation accounts for ~36% of applied water—representing nearly 424 TMC of water loss across 65.66 lakh acres[cite: 1]. Inspired by the need to conserve critical groundwater and optimize farming inputs, we created Bhoomini to solve percolation at the root zone while introducing intelligent soil monitoring[cite: 1].

What it does

Bhoomini introduces a multi-benefit agricultural system designed for paddy fields and high-percolation soils[cite: 1]:

Percolation Reduction: Reduces water percolation by 40%, keeping moisture where crops need it most[cite: 1].
Bio-based Superabsorbent Soil Amendment: Uses a mixture of alginate, starch, biochar, urea, and soil to retain water and gradually release nutrients, reducing fertilizer leaching[cite: 1].
Root-Zone Intelligence Sensing: Conductive biochar forms an underground network that transmits electronic signals from the root zone to a receiver unit[cite: 1].
AI Insights & Recommendations: AI models process root-level impulses and historical data to deliver actionable insights on water needs, nutrient status, pest risks, soil condition, and yield prediction[cite: 1].

How we built it

Soil Amendment Layer: Developed a bio-based polymer blend combining Sujalam Super Absorbent Bio Polymer with biochar, alginate, and starch[cite: 1].
Conductive Network: Utilized graphitic carbon structures within biochar to create continuous conductive pathways between soil particles for signal transmission[cite: 1].
Hardware & Receiver Unit: Connected soil conductive networks to an field receiver node to capture micro-impulses directly from the root zone[cite: 1].
AI Processing Engine: Designed AI algorithms to filter soil noise, process signals against historical weather and crop data, and output real-time recommendations[cite: 1].

Challenges we ran into

Balancing the optimal ratio of biochar, alginate, and polymer to achieve maximum water retention without inhibiting root expansion[cite: 1].
Maintaining a continuous electrical contact network across varying soil moisture levels to ensure reliable signal capture[cite: 1].

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Achieved a measured 40% reduction in water percolation[cite: 1].
Successfully established an electronic sensing mechanism embedded within biochar, enabling non-invasive root-level soil monitoring[cite: 1].

What we learned

Detailed mechanics of groundwater movement, rock fractures, and seasonal water budgeting in transplanted paddy systems[cite: 1].
Practical applications of biochar conductivity in precision agriculture[cite: 1].

What's next for Bhoomini

Expanding field trials across broader soil types and additional water-intensive crop categories[cite: 1].
Scaling receiver hardware production and integrating automated irrigation trigger systems[cite: 1].