💳 Soil Health Card

Soil Health card Scheme, Soil Sample, Soil Health management

Soil Health card Scheme (SHC)

  • Soil Health Card Scheme was launched by Hon’ble PM on 19-02-2015 at Surtgarh, Rajasthan.
  • Soil testing program was started in India in the year 1955-56.
  • Soil Health Card (SHC) is a printed report that farmer will be handed over for each of his holdings.
  • Soil Health Card scheme has been approved for implementation during the remaining period of 12th Plan to provide 12 crore Soil Health Cards to the farmers in the country.
  • Nation-wide program to conduct farm level soil analysis.
  • Nodal Ministry: Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare in Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
  • Centrally sponsored scheme.
  • Moto: “Swasth Dharaa. Khet Haraa” - Healthy Earth. Green Farm.
  • Soil health card is being issued every 2 years for all land holdings in the country so as to promote balanced and integrated use of plant nutrients.
  • SHC is a printed report that a farmer will be handed over for each of his holdings. It will contain the status of his soil with respect to 12 parameters, namely:
    • N,P,K (Macro-nutrients)
    • S (Secondary- nutrient)
    • Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, B (Micro - nutrients)
    • pH, EC, OC (Physical parameters)
  • Based on this, the SHC will also indicate fertilizer recommendations and soil amendment required for the farm.

Objectives

  • To provide information to farmers on soil nutrient status of their soil and recommendation on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility.
  • Provide customized crop specific recommendation for nutrient application.

👉🏻 Progress of soil health card scheme (SHC)

  • By October, 2019, 10.73 crores Soil Health Cards has been distributed.

Soil Samples

  • Soil samples will be drawn in a grid of 2.5 ha in irrigated area and 10 ha in rain-fed area with the help of GPS tools and revenue maps.

👉🏻 Who will draw the soil sample?

  • The State Government will collect samples through the staff of their Department of Agriculture or through the staff of an outsourced agency.
  • The State Government may also involve the students of local Agriculture / Science Colleges.

👉🏻 What is the ideal time for soil sampling?

  • Soil Samples are taken generally two times in a year, after harvesting of Rabi and Kharif Crop respectively or when there is no standing crop in the field.

👉🏻 How will soil samples be collected from a farmer’s field?

  • Soil Samples will be collected by a trained person from a depth of 15-20 cm by cutting the soil in a “V” shape.

👉🏻 Who and Where will the soil sample be tested?

  • The soil sample will be tested as per the approved standards for all the agreed 12 parameters in the following way:
    • At the STLs owned by the Department of Agriculture and by their own staff.
    • At the STLs owned by the Department of Agriculture but by the staff of the outsourced agency.
    • At the STLs owned by the outsourced agency and by their staff.
    • At ICAR Institutions including KVKs and SAUs.
    • At the laboratories of the Science Colleges/Universities by the students under supervision of a Professor/ Scientist.

👉🏻 What is the payment per sample?

  • A sum of Rs. 190 per soil sample is provided to State Governments.
  • This covers the cost of collection of soil sample, its test, generation and distribution of soil health card to the farmer.

Soil Health management (SHM)

  • Under Soil Health Management (SHM) scheme, Government is promoting Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) i.e. soil test based balanced use of fertilizers in conjunction with bio-fertilizers and locally available organic manures like Farm Yard Manure, Compost, Vermi Compost and Green Manure to maintain soil health and its productivity.
  • Under the SHM scheme there is provision to set up new static Soil Testing Laboratories (STLs) and new Mobile Soil Testing Laboratories besides strengthening of existing laboratories to enable them to undertake micro-nutrient testing.

👉🏻 Soil Health Management under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture consists of following components:

  • Setting up of new Soil Testing laboratories (STL) (static/mobile/mini labs) and strengthening of existing Soil Testing laboratories.
  • Training of STL staff/extension officers/ farmers/field functionaries and field demonstrations on balanced use of fertilizers etc.
  • Promotion and distribution of micro nutrients.
  • Setting up of new Fertilizer Quality Control Laboratories (FQCL) and strengthening of existing state Fertilizer Quality Control Laboratories.

👉🏻 Objectives of Soil Heath Management Scheme:

  • To promote soil test-based balance use of fertilizer in conjunction with organic sources of plant nutrients and bio fertilizer.
  • To make agriculture more productive, sustainable and climate resilient.
  • To adopt comprehensive soil health management practices.

👉🏻 Benefits of SHC and SHM Scheme:

  • Soil health card promote balance and judicious use of plant nutrients.
  • Soil test-based applications of major, secondary and micro nutrients.
  • Adoption of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) leads to reduction in consumption of chemical fertilizer.
  • Application of fertilizer based on soil health card recommendations decreases the use of chemical fertilizer by 8-10%.
  • Application of fertilizers on soil health card recommendation leads to increase the yield of crops by 5-6 % and increase the farmers’ income.

National Project on Management of Soil Health & Fertilizer (NPMS&F)

  • NPMSH & F has been taken up from 2008-09 to promote balanced and judicious use of fertilizer in conjunction with organic manure on soil test basis with an outlay of Rs. 429.85 crore during 11th plan period.
References

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