Fake Fertilizer Detection and Authentication: A QR-Code Based Secure Verification Platform

This paper presented the Fake Fertilizer Detection and Authentication System (FFIDAS), a comprehensive technology-driven  platform  addressing  the  critical problem of counterfeit fertilizer circulation in agricultural markets. By integrating SHA-256 cryptographic hashing for tamper-proof QR code generation, a Flutter-based mobile application for real-time farmer-side verification, a React.js administrative dashboard for government oversight, a Node.js RESTful backend for secure business logic execution, and MongoDB Atlas for scalable cloud storage, FFIDAS delivers a complete multi-stakeholder authentication ecosystem.   Key contributions include: (1) a two-phase cryptographic authentication protocol ensuring deterministic and tamper-evident fertilizer verification, (2) a cross-platform mobile application enabling instant QR-based verification accessible to farmers on low-cost devices, (3) a role-based web dashboard supporting manufacturer registration, government approval, and analytics monitoring, (4) a scalable microservices backend with JWT-based security and AES-256 encrypted data storage, and (5) experimental validation demonstrating 98.4% verification accuracy, 97.2% authentication success rate, 1.8-second average latency, and 91% user satisfaction.   Future work will focus on offline verification capabilities, blockchain-based decentralized record management, AI-driven anomaly detection, and direct integration with national agricultural regulatory databases. FFIDAS represents a significant step toward transparent, trustworthy, and scalable fertilizer supply chain authentication, with direct benefits for farmer safety, agricultural productivity, and regulatory oversight.

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