The enhancement of food grain production was possible only when the soil was enriched with the required nutrients. It was important to know what a particular soil lacked for one to use inputs judiciously or else excessive administration of fertilizer and pesticides would not render any benefit. They said that Indian farmers commonly overused fertilizers in almost everything they grew, which slowly caused ill effects to the particular soil and leading to the escalation of input costs.
The Agriculture Department is gearing up to distribute soil health cards to another 67.67 lakh farmers before the end of 2018-19 fiscal and has invited farmers in Trichy district to claim them. The card offers crop-wise recommendations of nutrients and fertilizers required for the land based on a soil test in order to help farmers improve their productivity through the judicious use of inputs.
The Tamil Nadu Government had been issuing soil health cards to farmers to avert such practices among them. Every crop needed 20 types of nutrients in proper proportions to grow healthy. It was to know the proportion of each nutrient that the soil health cards were necessary, the officials opined.
The Agriculture Department had so far issued 67.67 lakh cards to the farmer during the first phase and was planning to distribute 19.22 lakh in the second phase. Works were on to distribute cards to 67.67 lakh farmers before 2018-19 end, the officials further stated.
