Around 3L farmers get Soil Health Cards in Mysuru district

Soil Health Cards, an ambitious scheme launched by the Government of India to help farmers to improve productivity, have been issued to around 3,11,000 farmers in the district, despite technical problems.

Around 64,856 soil samples have been subjected to tests at laboratories. Around 74,726 farmers are yet to get the cards. Technical problems were said to be the reason behind the delay in issuing the cards.

The scheme aims at promoting soil test once in two years and suggests balanced use of fertilisers to enable farmers realise higher yields at lower cost.

However, according to experts, the soil in the district has a deficiency of 43.34% Sulphur, 42.42% Boron, 29.75% organic Carbon and 29% Zinc.

K P Veeranna, Assistant Director of Soil Health Centre, told DH, “The Soil Health Cards would be distributed to all the farmers in the district within 20 days. If the farmers follow the suggestions given by the agricultural officers, they would surely see an improvement in the next two years, he said.

Soil testing: where and how
The soil testing laboratory on the premises of mini Vidhana Soudha in Mysuru conduct necessary tests to find the quality of the soil. The Agriculture officer in the hoblis collects the soil and sends it to the lab for testing.

Thereafter, the experts will analyse the strength and weaknesses (micro-nutrients deficiency) of the soil and suggest measures to deal with it. The result and suggestion will be displayed in the cards.

The technicians at the lab explained that they have to conduct tests for around 100 to 150 samples every day.

But as they face power shutdown, water shortage and other technical problems, it has become difficult to achieve the target.

Half kg soil is collected for every 2.05 hectare of irrigated land, and 10 hectares of rain-fed land, and the same is sent for testing. The soil is tested for the presence of nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulphur, Iron, Boron, Manganese, PH content and organic Carbon.

The Agriculture officer himself hands over the Soil Health Card to the farmers and provides valuable suggestions on the nutrients deficiency and measures taken to improve the soil health for getting a good yield.