Hoshiarpur: Deputy Commissioner Mrs. Anindita Mitra today said that the Soil Health Cards would be provided to all the farmers in the district to make them aware of minerals and micro-nutrient deficiencies of soil and further for taking measures for replenishment in accordance with the recommendations.
The cards to be provided under the Soil Health Card Scheme launched by Prime Minister this year, Deputy Commissioner said that the card will carry crop wise recommendations of nutrients/fertilizers required for farms, making it possible for farmers to improve productivity by using appropriate inputs.
“So as to make Soil Infertility Map the instructions have already been given to collected soil samples from farms. These samples would be tested in the three working laboratories at Hoshiarpur, Garhshankar and Mukerian for soil’s nitrogen, phosphate, zinc and other contents,” said DC adding further that the soil testing cards would not only describe the quality of minerals, including the deficiencies if any but also suggest the means to replenish these deficiencies.
Deputy Commissioner further said that based on these scientific measures the farmers would be made aware to take steps as per the Integrated Nutrient Management for using fertilisers and other contents as per the requirements of different farms and different crops. DC further said that as per the scheme launched by Prime Minister the cards to all the farmers in the district would be provided within three years time.
DC said that the scheme has been launched by the Centre Government keeping in view the deteriorating soil health due to imbalanced use of fertilisers, low addition of organic matter and non-replacement of depleted micro and secondary nutrients over the years that has resulted in nutrient deficiencies and decrease in soil fertility. DC said that the scheme would ensure the application of required nutrients as the Soil Health Card would display soil health indicators and associated descriptive terms.
Chief Agriculture Officer Dr. Manpreet Singh appealed the farmers to ensure the soil testing of their fields so that they could get benefit from this farmer oriented scheme.
