Soil health card

This Scheme was launched on 5^th December 2015 the ministry of agriculture introduced the soil health card (SHC) scheme with the slogan "Swasth Dharaa. Khet Haraa."

v SHC is a printed report which contains nutrient status of soil with respect to 12 nutrients: pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Organic Carbon (OC), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sulphur (S), Zinc (Zn), Boron (B), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Copper (Cu) of farm holdings.

v SHC will be provided to all farmers in the country at an interval of 3 years to enable the farmers to apply recommended doses of nutrients based on soil test values to realize improved and sustainable soil health and fertility, low costs and higher profits.

v Soil health card is field-specific detailed report of soil fertility status and other important soil parameters that affect crop productivity.

Objectives

v To improve soil quality and profitability of farmers.

v Employment generation for rural youth.

v To update information on soil analysis.

v To provide soil testing facilities to farmers at their doorstep.

Benefits

v SHC helps farmers to improve soil health and ultimately increase productivity.

v After getting SHC farmers have reduced N, P and K use, especially nitrogen use has and increased micronutrients use which helped them to increase the fertility.

v It has helped farmers to diversify towards less input-intensive crops from more input-intensive crops like paddy and cotton.

v It has also helped farmers to find input substitutions.

v It has helped in the formulation of specific schemes like subsidized micronutrients from governments.