Soil Health Card

Soil Health Card is a scheme launched by Government of India in 19 February 2015 under this  scheme Government plane to issue soil cards to farmers which will carry crop-wise recommendation of nutrients and fertilizers required for the individual field to help the farmer for improving their productivity.

 This scheme promoted by the Department of Agriculture and co-operation under the Ministry of Agriculture and farmer welfare. It is being implemented through the Department of Agriculture of all state and Union Territory Governments.

 A Soil Health Card meant to give each farmers a soil nutrient status of his field and advice him on the dose of fertilizers and also needed soil amendments.That should be apply to maintain soil health.The main objective is to aware growers about the appropriate amount of nutrients for the concerned crop depending on the quality of soil.

Soil Health Card scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in suratgarh town of sriganagar dist- Rajasthan.

Slogan - Swsth Dharaa, khet Haraa.

The soil health card carry the status of soil with 12 parameters, those are N.P.K (Macro-nutrient), S (Secondary- nutrient),Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Bo (Micro-nutrient) and Ph, Ec, Oc(Physical-parameters). Base on this soil card can also Indicate fertilizer recommendation and soil amendment required for the farmers field. 

The soil samples are taken by state government staffs where soil will be cut to a depth of 15 - 20 cm in a V shape.The obtained sample will be coded and then sent to laboratories for test.The testing laboratories are also in the form of mobile vehicles so that test can be conducted in remote areas. The soil sample are taken twice regularly in a year after the harvesting of Rabi and Kharif crops or when there are no crops in the field. Sample are drown by using GPS tools and revenue maps in a grid of 2.5 ha in irrigation area and 10 ha in rainfed  areas. 

A fee of Rs/- 190 per soil sample has to be paid to the state government to conduct test. This fee includes the cost of soil sample collection,testing,generation and distribution of soil health card to the farmers. Soil Health Card is provided to farmers once every 3 years.