Sustainable Farming Practices: Soil Health Cards as a Tool- A book Chapter
Abstract
The Indian economy and society depend heavily on agriculture. Approximately two thirds of the nation'speople make their living either directly or indirectly from agriculture. The innovations of the Green Revolution in the 1960s made it possible to achieve food production self-sufficiency and transformed a nation experiencing a food deficit into one experiencing a food surplus. This resulted in a rebirth of agriculture centred on the adoption of intensive farming supported by the use of manures, fertilisers, pesticides, and assured irrigation, as well as high-yielding seed varieties. Chemical fertilisers were more well-liked by the high-yielding cultivars, and they eventually became a staple of Indian agriculture. Water conservation and effective usage, as well assoil health maintenance, are critical to the future food security of the planet. The largest source of nutrients for humans still comes from soils. Soil health is a direct indicator of human health.
The focus of agricultural research has shifted recently to emphasize both food and nutritional security. The primary cause of the imbalance is thought to be the overuse of N fertilisers and the relatively low use of P and K fertilisers. In addition, India'sfertilizer use has been rising over time. Nurturing the soil has become essential to improve its health and productivity. The Indian government introduced the soil health card programme in this regard. This is intended to encourage the implementation of fertiliser recommendations based on soil tests, which will help to sustainably maintain soil productivity while simultaneously increasing crop production.
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Introduction
The Soil Health Card scheme was launched by Government of India in 2015 and is endorsed by the Department of Agriculture and Co-operation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. Under the programme, farmers receive soil health cards (SHCs) from the government that include crop-specific recommendations for the nutrients and fertilisers needed for every individual land holding. The goal of this is to assist farmers in increasing output by using inputs wisely. The Soil Health Card Scheme offers a qualitative evaluation of soil health and the necessary reclamation actions for soils which cause problems.
In addition to providing information on the specific nutritional status of each farmer'ssoil, the soil health card makes recommendations regarding the amount of fertiliser and soil amendments each farmer should use to preserve the long-term health and productivity of his or her soil. The programme aims to provide around 14 crore farmers nationwide with soil health cards every three years. It is being implemented through the Department of Agriculture of all the State and Union Territory Governments. 1.1 The stated objectives of soil health card scheme are as follows: To provide soil health cards, every three years, to all farmers in the nation, containing all the information related to fertilisation procedures that address nutritional deficiencies. To improve the functioning of Soil Testing Laboratories (STLs) by enhancing their capacity, including agricultural students, and establishing a strong connection with the State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). To diagnose soil fertility-related limitations using universally standardised sample methodologies across all states. Examining and creating fertiliser suggestions at the block level in the districts that are being targeted. To develop and encourage soil test based nutrient management in the area for enhancing nutrient use efficiency To strengthen the ability of innovative farmers and employees at the area level to promote nutrient management techniques. 1.2 The unique features of SHC scheme are: Single, uniform, web-based software for generation of Soil Health Cardin uniform format across the country in 22 local languages Sample tracking and alerts to farmers through SMS Automatic Fertilizer Recommendation calculations and micronutrient suggestions Fertilizer recommendations for Horticultural crops, based on age/ crop stage of the crop Organic carbon based fertilizers recommendations National database on soil health Dashboard Linkages to land record applications of states Integration with Common Service Centre (CSCs) portal for CSCs to enter data Interface for displaying Soil Health Cardin Umang and Krishi Suvidha mobile Apps Various types of nutrient status reports Calculator for fertilizers dosages Success stories
