Bhopal: Over 90 lakh free soil health cards have so far been distributed to farmers under soil health card yojana in Madhya Pradesh. Under this scheme free soil health cards are being distributed to farmers once in every two years on the basis of 12 standards of test results of grid based soil samples collected from the fields of farmers. Farmers are being advised on macro nutrients and micronutrients and quantity of fertilizers according to the crop based on the analytical results of the soil samples collected under soil health card yojana. Farmers are being encouraged to adopt balanced nutrient management for maximum production while maintaining soil health in state.
In the first phase of soil health-card yojana in the year 2015-16 and 2016-17 as per Agriculture Census-2011, 23.14 lakh grid soil samples were collected from 88.72 lakh cultivable land of the state. Later more than 90 lakh free soil health cards were distributed to farmers following analysis at the soil testing laboratory.
Nutrients of soil were tested in 50 laboratories of Farmer Welfare and Agriculture Development Department and 28 laboratories of Krishi Vigyan Kendra. As many as 265 new soil testing laboratories are being set up to make soil testing facility available at block level to farmers. A gazette officer has been made nodal officer of the soil health card at the district level. Distribution of soil health cards and soil testing is being constantly monitored at state level.