Mobile app soon to help farmers assess soil health: Shivraj Chouhan
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the Government will soon come out with a mobile app for farmers to help them assess soil health while stressing the balanced and judicious use of fertilisers.
The Agriculture Minister also pitched for the adoption of natural farming practices to reduce dependency on chemical fertilisers.
Addressing a gathering in the closing ceremony of ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyaan’ in Bawal, Haryana’s Rewari district, Chouhan expressed concern over the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers. The month-long ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ was launched from Raisen district in Madhya Pradesh on June 1. The minister said that soon, farmers will be able to download an app on their mobile phones.
“You will stand in your field, and your mobile will tell you what nutrients are in your soil and how much fertiliser should be applied. We are working on this too, so that you do not face difficulties. By using technology, I again request you to use balanced fertilisers,” he said.
Currently, farmers get soil health details in a physical card issued by the respective State Governments. Around 26 crore soil health cards have been issued across the country as of March 2026, according to official data.
He urged farmers to stop the indiscriminate use of fertilisers, as excessive use of urea and DAP is gradually damaging the soil.
“Because of the excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides, the health of our soil is gradually deteriorating,” Chouhan said.
He also asked farmers to try their hands at natural farming. “If natural farming is practised correctly, production does not decrease.”
Chouhan observed that excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides destroyed countless beneficial microorganisms in the soil and that earthworms, nature’s own allies in maintaining soil fertility, had become increasingly rare in agricultural fields.
This trend, he said, must be reversed through conscious efforts to restore biological balance, preserve biodiversity and reduce dependence on chemical inputs. According to him, sustainable farming practices are not merely an environmental necessity but also an economic and health imperative for future generations.
He also referred to concerns arising from climate change and the possible impact of the El Niño weather phenomenon.
He noted that forecasts suggested lower rainfall in certain districts of Haryana and said that both the Centre and the State Government were jointly working on promoting crop varieties that require less water and mature more quickly, enabling farmers to maintain good productivity even under conditions of reduced rainfall.
Chouhan lauded Haryana for its contribution to the agriculture sector.
“Here in Haryana, MSP is given on 24 crops,” he said, adding that under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojna, farmers are getting the full value for their hard work on horticulture crops.
He said Haryana fills the granaries of the nation.
“There was a time when we had to bring red wheat from America. But today, because of the efforts of states like Haryana, the country’s food reserves are full,” he said.
“In rice, India has become number one in the world. We have surpassed China. In this agricultural revolution, the farmers of Haryana have played a very important role,” he said.
He described the Haryana Government’s decision to provide an incentive of 8,000 per acre to farmers shifting from paddy cultivation to pulses as a major pro-farmer initiative.
Such measures, he said, would not only reduce pressure on groundwater resources but also improve soil fertility, diversify cropping patterns and strengthen farmers’ incomes while making agriculture more resilient to climate-related challenges.
On this occasion, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was also present.
