Since 2015, based on demand from states, 107 mobile soil testing labs have been set up under Soil Health Management programme. In all total 11,531 labs have been set up including 491 static labs, 107 mobile labs, 8,811 mini labs and 2,122 village level labs, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar said in Rajya Sabha recently.
The Government of India has been implementing Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme since 2015 to provide soil testing based fertiliser use recommendations periodically to the farmers in the country. Soil health card provides nutrient status of the soil along with prescription about balanced and integrated use of inorganic and organic fertilisers to maintain good health that results in increase in production. SHC based fertiliser use advisories are issued to farmers from time to time. Demonstrations about balanced use of fertilisers based on soil health card recommendations and training to the farmers on proper and integrated use of fertilisers are integral part of the scheme. The state and district agriculture machinery and panchayats, village level rural development workers like Krishi Sakhis, Pasu Sakhis are involved in educating farmers on right use of fertilisers. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) also imparts training, organises front line demonstrations to educate farmers on this aspect, the minister informed the upper house of of Indian parliament.
