Toyota Motor Corp. has started testing a service that analyzes farm soil with optical sensors, allowing farmers to strategically distribute fertilizer to increase crop yields.

The experiment in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, uses the automaker's so-called Toyota Production System, which was developed to maximize production efficiency based on data analysis.

By clarifying soil composition and offering suggestions on fertilizer amount and other important factors needed to make the best soil for growing crops, Toyota hopes to make it easier for farmers to pass their expertise down to younger generations.