94% of agri land covered in soil testing drive in Palwal

The soil health testing drive by the Agricultural Department has covered about 93.98 per cent of the agricultural land in the district. The department has issued around one lakh soil health cards to the farmers so far.

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As the rampant and indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers and over exploitation of the land has resulted in a severe decline in the fertility levels of the cultivable land, farmers were being encouraged to get the soil tested in order to enhance and maintain the nutrients levels and to check the degradation of the quality of the soil, said an Agriculture Department official.

He said while hundreds of samples were lifted each month, the soil health cards were issued after a test in the lab to help farmers know the quality of the land and the measures required to improve and maintain the fertility levels.

It is claimed that while soil samples have been lifted from around 2.50 lakh acres of a total of 2.66 lakh acres, it comes to about 94 per cent of the available land in the district so far. The department prepared and issued over 50,000 soil health cards in the period between 2021 and 2023, reveal the sources. Cards are issued to the farmers on the basis of the report provided by the laboratory and tests conducted by the department’s laboratory, it is added.

"Soil testing could be vital; it helps farmers make informed decisions about how to manage their soil as it's health is important for sustainable crop production, and the existence of flora and fauna," says Mahavir Singh Malik, an agricultural expert.

He said while exploitation, destruction and mismanagement of soil could lead to extinction of plants and animals, soil testing could identify nutrient-deficient soil to help crop growers enhance agricultural productivity and ensure a more reliable and diverse food supply by cultivating crops in nutrient-dense soil. He said the soil health cards provided information about the status of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, micro nutrients and organic matter to diagnose the fertility status and the nutrient management of the soil. About 5,000 acres of land had been lying barren of which hundreds of acres was waterlogged, the authorities needed to chalk out a different strategy, said an official.

Sumer Singh SDO, Soil Testing Wing, said soil testing helped identify nutrient deficiencies so that farmers could go for the right amount and type of fertiliser. Farmers were being encouraged for the soil test in order to improve the productivity and maintain proper health of the cultivable land.