Strategy to issue
Soil Health Cards in
Time bound manner
Group-I
NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AGRICULTURE FOR KHARIF CAMPAIGN– 2015
1
Target Number of soil samples at National Level
Class of
holding
Net Area
sown
(Mha)
Wholly
Rainfed
Average
Irrigated
Area (Mha) size of
Area (Mha)
holding
(ha)
Marginal
32
15
17
0.39
Small
32
11
21
1.42
SemiMedium
Medium
34
11
23
2.71
29
10
19
5.76
Large
14
4
10
17.38
Total
141
51
90
No. of Soil Samples (Million)
No. of
SHCs
(Million)
Irrigated
Rainfed
Total
6
(15/2.5)
4.4
(11/2.5)
4.0
(11/2.71)
1.7
(17/10)
2.1
(21/10)
2.3
(23/10)
7.7
93
6.5
25
6.3
14
1.7
(10/5.76)
0.2
(5/17.38)
1.9
(19/10)
0.5
(10/17.37)
3.6
6
0.7
1
16.3
8.5
24.8
139
(say 14
crore)
2
TARGETED NUMBER OF SAMPLES –MADHYA PRADESH
CLASS OF
HOLDING
Marginal
Small
SemiMedium
Medium
Large
Total
Net Area
Sown (Ha)
19,15,352
34,66,141
45,10,221
45,44,530
13,99,633
158,35,877
Wholly
Irrigated
Area (Ha)
5,24,369
9,55,738
Rainfed
Area
(Ha)
No. of Soil Sample
Avg.Size
(Ha)
Irrigated
13,90,983
25,10,403
0.49
1.42
2,09,747
3,82,295
11,95,239 33,14,982
10,92,171 34,52,359
2,56,848 11,42,785
40,24,366 118,11,511
2.73
5.76
15.77
4,38,542
1,89,652
16,283
12,36,520
Source :- Agriculture Census 2010-11 (Phase-ii)
Rainfed
1,39,098
2,51,040
Total
3,48,846
6,33,336
No. of SHC
holdingwise/
Classwise
38,91,016
24,48,652
3,31,498
7,7,0040 16,54,834
3,45,236
5,34,888
7,89,143
72,449
88,732
88,732
11,39,321 23,75,842 88,72,377
Annual Capacity to analyse sample
No of Soil Testing Laboratories
State Govt.
Static Mobile
987
173
Fert. Industry
Static
61
Mobile
Total
Static
23 1048
Mobile
Total
196 1244
Annual
Analyzing
Capacity
in lakh
178.27
Sample
Analyzed
In lakh
135.17
Capacity
Utilization
(%)
75.83
4
TECHNOLOGY UTILISATION
5 of 64
Draft of Sample Collection List
District……………… Sub District…………..PS……………….. GP…………………. Village……………..
AS Circle………………. AAO Circle…………………..Name of Krishi Mitra…………………….
Mobile No………………….. Allotted Lab…………………………
List for Irrigated Area:
Details of Major Farmer
Sampl Name of
e unit Farmer
area
Land
Holding
No
Area of
Holding
in Ha.
1
12/190
1.5
Ramsingh/
Preetum
singh
Details of Associated farmers
Identification
Latitude
Longitude
Name of
land holder
falls in unit
area
Khasra
No
Area
in Ha.
Major crops
Kishor/
Baalu
595
0.7
Wheat,
Mustard,
Gram,
Bajra,
Maize
Ramu/
Chatar
597
0.85
Jowar,
Moong
Barley
Gram
Summary Irrigated Area - Village……..
Sample units
Total Samples
Total number of cards
1
1
03
2
1
02
Schedule for soil sample collection
 One sample from 2.5 ha unit area in irrigated
areas and 10 ha unit in un-irrigated areas
 Prepare a schedule for soil sampling during
lean period i.e. April/May along with the
agencies to be involved in sampling.
 For example, if in year 1 the number of
samples to be tested is 4.24 lakh and
your total capacity is 2.06 lakh, you may
have to plan for MSTLs or outsourcing.
Analysis of Soil Samples
Samples will be tested for pH, EC,
Organic carbon, Available Phosphorous,
Potash, Sulphur and available Zinc,
Boron, Iron, Copper, and Manganese and
recommendations will be made for major
crops through soil health cards.
Arrangements for analysis
Departmental soil testing labs
Outsourcing labs
Schedule for soil analysis and allotment
1. Plan the allocation of area wise samples to designated
labs.
2. Plan the storage of samples such as Block Agriculture
Office.
3. Transportation of sample from field to allotted lab.
4. Decide upon schedule for soil analysis once the samples
are delivered at labs.
Fertilizer Recommendations
For Fertilizer Recommendations two methods are being
followed 1. STCR (Soil Test Crop Response) based recommendations
2. General Fertilizer Recommendations by States
Schedule for printing and distribution of
‘Soil Health Card’
Computerize Soil Health cards.
Recommendations for major Kharif, Rabi and summer crops.
Distribution of SHCs may be scheduled in lean months,
preferably in kisaan melas, so as to have direct interaction
with farmers. They need to be educated at Gram Panchayat or
block level on how to use the SHCs.
Important Points to be considered
Properly plan out number of samples to be collected
Chalk out sample collection modalities and schedule for
collection
Massive awareness campaign for farmers
Finalise modalities for sample storage and delivery to labs
Assess annual analysing capacity and apportioning of labs
Decide upon the outsourcing partners – if required
Ensure requisite ICT tools for labs
Ensure timely analysis and delivery of SHCs
Fix up quality monitoring programme especially for
outsourced labs
Micro nutrient analysis as per advice of SAU and
prevalence of deficiency
Involve all stakeholders like Horticulture, Watershed
Department and ICAR institutes
Proposed Outcomes/ Benefit to Farmers
Region wise estimation of soil fertility
status
Estimation of required inputs.
Reduce per unit cost of production,
quality of produce
Awareness about precision farming.
Opportunity to improve Fertilizer Use
Efficiency.
Taking Lab to the farmers.
An appeal
Let us give our best efforts to make Soil Health
Card programme a success
Rajesh Das
On behalf of Group-I