Kerala - Kannur   

Soil testing lab gaining popularity among farmers

Mohamed Nazeer

Recommends optimum crop management practices Recommends optimum crop management

KANNUR: The District Soil Testing Laboratory under the Department of Agriculture at Karimbam here is gaining in popularity among farmers in the district through its diverse services for better agricultural practices highlighting the importance of soil and water conservation measures in scientific crop management.

A study conducted by the laboratory has found that the lack of awareness about the importance of soil and water conservation measures and unscientific crop management practices lead to an alarming decrease in the plant nutrients present in soil as well, fall in production and increase in incidence of diseases.

Apart from analysing soil properties, the laboratory helps the farmers by interpreting the soil analytical data and recommending optimum crop management practices for different crops with due consideration for the topography, land utilisation, soil type and other micro-climatic conditions that prevail in the fields.

In the laboratory, the farmers can get their soil samples analysed for various parameters, including soil acidity, electrical conductivity, organic carbon content and availability of major nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, says K. Sivaramakrishnan, assistant soil chemist at the laboratory. A mere imbalance between the three major plant nutrients may cause serious damage to the crops, he says.

The laboratory charges a fee of Rs. 2 per sample, he says. The services of the laboratory are being used by different farms under the Department of Agriculture, the Aralam Farm, Sugarcane Breeding Station, Central Jail, Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council and Soil Survey Department for their crop management. Nearly 800 soil samples were analysed under a programme launched by the Central Plantation Crops and Research Institute, Kasaragod, the laboratory officials say.

The laboratory also helps the farmers in eco-friendly input management based on soil analysis to achieve `Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture.' As organic farming become increasingly popular, the services of the laboratory can be utilised by organic farmers too, they say.

Around 2,000 farmers are directly benefited by the laboratory. As many as 40 `Soil Plant Health Clinic' campaigns were conducted last year in various panchayats in association with Krishibhavans and farmers' groups to create awareness about the importance of soil analysis among the farmers.

A project prepared by students of Government U.P. School, Kalikkadavu, near Panniyur here, on the `Importance of humus in soil' with the assistance of the laboratory was selected for presentation at State-level and Central-level Students' Science Congress last year.

The agricultural officer of the laboratory, P. Jayaraj, says the laboratory also organises programmes on organic farming, eco-friendly input management, soil and water conservation measures, organic manure and composting techniques, natural resources, and management with the assistance of Krishibhavans, self-help groups, credit institutions, non-governmental organisation, farmers' clubs and colleges. Dr. Jayaraj says that all farmers should avail the facility of soil analysis before the cropping season begins.

Meanwhile, the District Panchayat has formulated a project for strengthening the laboratory for exploiting its potential. The project envisages improving the facilities for quality control of organic manure and of irrigation and drinking water, analysis of soil and plant samples for major and micro-nutrients, including heavy metal toxicity as well as pesticide residue analysis in food commodities.

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