Compendium on Soil Health

Government of India is promoting integrated nutrient management (INM) balanced and judicious use of chemical fertilizers, bio-fertilizers and locally available organic manures like farmyard manure, compost, vermi compost and green manure based on soil testing to maintain soil health and productivity. Total nutrient content varies from soil to soil depending upon the nature of parent material and other soil forming processes. Only the plant available form of the nutrient in the soil is relevant for the crops and is chemically determined through appropriate testing methods which are deployed in soil testing laboratories. During 11th Five Year Plan, a National Project on Management of Soil Health and Fertility (NPMSHF) was approved during 2008-09 with an outlay of Rs. 429.85 crore. The scheme provides for setting up of new soil testing laboratories and strengthening of the existing labs with micronutrient testing facilities. Apart from this project, assistance for soil testing laboratories is also being provided to States/UTs under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). There were 1,049 soil testing labs in the country with an annual sample analyzing capacity of 107 lakh as on 31.03.2011. Based on the soil analysis, State Governments have issued 408 lakh soil health cards to the farmers.