The Punjab Government, during 2014-15, has issued more than 1.12 lakh soil health cards to the State farmers. The cards were issued by the State Government to ensure sustainable productivity of land under cultivation and purity of water used for irrigation, collected 3,10,120 samples of soil and 19,761 samples of water and analysed them at various laboratories across the State.
“While ensuring the land productivity, the Government has also ensured big incentive to the farmers by providing them soil health cards. The farmers possessing these cards are also imparted required awareness during the interactive sessions chaired by subject matter specialists of Agriculture Department,” said an official spokesperson of the Agriculture Department.
He said that a total of 1,12,776 soil health cards have been issued to the farmers. “The Government has initiated an organised awareness campaign for the farmers regarding the usage of fertilisers in accordance with the nutrient status of his soil in accordance with the issued soil health card. Awareness camps have also been organised,” he added.
He said that in the scientifically equipped laboratories at Patiala, Samana, Nabha, Rajpura and Patran, as many as 13,397 samples of soil and 1,043 samples of water were collected and checked during 2014-15. “Each soil test costs nearly Rs40 to the Government whereas a token fee of Rs1 is taken from the farmers for his soil nutrient analyses, while his irrigation water sample is tested for free,” he said.
Terming the soil test as the most essential step to enhance crops’ yield, Patiala Deputy Commissioner said that the farmers should check the tendency of using too much of pesticides, fertilisers and other chemicals on the land as it is hazardous for land, crops and our ecosystem. He said that while delivering the soil health card to the farmer, he is well apprised of his soil status in terms of nutrients and the fertilizer recommendations for his soil.
“He is well-trained regarding the uses and functions of soil nutrients viz nitrogen phosphorus and other elements like zinc, iron, manganese and sulphur present in the soil under cultivation,” he said. They have also been guided to use the chemicals and fertilizers in the recommended quantity as per package and practice of PAU ludhiana, he added.