Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Farmers to get soil health cards

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Farmers everywhere know the importance of soil health in improving yield. Unscientific use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides contributes to the loss of soil fertility, pushing up production costs. Climate change and unsustainable agricultural practices accelerate the process of deterioration.

The situation is no different in Kerala where farmers are struggling to cope with declining soil health and high input costs. In a bid to provide some relief to these farmers, the Soil Survey Organisation under the State government has launched a project to distribute soil health cards to farmers in selected panchayats in all the 14 districts.

Soil samples will be collected from each plot, tested and the results recorded in a card. Each card will document the land characteristics such as elevation, slope, erosion and groundwater depth, physical features such as soil texture and soil depth, chemical characteristics such as soil pH, electrical conductivity, water holding capacity, organic carbon content and available phosphorous and potash, all of which determine the production potential of the soil. Based on the data generated by the analysis, the card carries specific recommendations to improve the soil fertility for various types of crops.

According to P.N.Premachandran, Additional Director, Soil Survey, the soil health card project is being implemented with public participation. Farmers will be issued the card free of cost.

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