Moving Forward with the Soil Health Card Scheme
- Before the growing season, SHC distribution and awareness programs must be designed to encourage farmers to use the suggested fertilizers and crop selection.
- For soil management and monitoring the standard of care provided by various authorities, a professional group is required at both state levels.
- By using a clear approach (systematic and scientific analysis of soil and water), as well as adopting appropriate doses, it is necessary to experimentally communicate the benefits of SHC in each area.
Soil Health Card Scheme
A program of the Government of India known as the Soil Health Card Scheme (SHCS) is promoted by the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation within the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. All-State and Union Territory Governments’ Departments of Agriculture are in charge of carrying it out. The soil health card (SHC) program was launched by the government of agriculture on December 5th, 2015.
All farmers in the nation will receive SHC at intervals of three years, allowing them to apply prescribed fertilizer doses based on the results of soil tests and achieve enhanced and sustained soil health and fertility, reduced costs, and increased profits. An SHC is designed to provide each farmer with the soil nutrient status of his or her holding and provide advice on the amount of fertilizer and other soil amendments that are required to be applied in order to sustain soil health over the long term.
A field-specific detailed report on the soil fertility status and other significant soil characteristics that influence crop productivity is called a “soil health card.” It is a report related to 12 nutrients: pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Organic Carbon (OC), Potassium (K), Sulphur (S), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), Boron (B), and Copper (Cu) of farm holdings.