International Soil Conference on Sustainable Uses of Soil in Harmony with Food Security

( 18-21 August, 2015)Bangkok, Thailand

Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India

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Soil Health Card for Sustaining Productivity

Food Security

• Food Security – Global Challenge

• Assumes special significance for India, being thesecond largest populated country

• To maintain self sufficiency in food grainsproduction – Agriculture growth on sustainablebasis required

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Indian Agriculture - Facts• Figures

– Accounts for about 14 % of GDP

– Annual average growth rate in production – 3.6%

– Provides livelihood to about 58% of the population

– Contributes 14% of total exports

• Area and landholdings– Net sown area – 142 million hectare

– Net irrigated area – 56 million hectares

– 85% of landholdings – Marginal (less than 1 ha) andSmall (1-2 ha)

– Multiple (15) agro-climatic zones

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Indian Agriculture – FactsContd …

• Principal Crops and Production

– 3 major groups of crops

• Foodgrains (rice, wheat, pulses), Production = 245 milliontonnes

• Oilseeds, Production = 29 million tonnes

• Cash crops (cotton, sugarcane, jute), Production = 365million tonnes

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Indian Agriculture –Challenges

• Focus - achieving self sufficiency in food grainsproduction with the existing land underagriculture

• For sustainable agricultural transformation -Need for policies with focus also on smallholdings, rainfed areas, lagging regions

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National Agriculture Policy

National policy seeks to overcome challengesand achieve

• Annual growth rate of more than 4% on sustainable basis

• Efficient use of natural resources (soil, water , bio-diversityetc)

• Socio-economic well-being of farmers, besides productionand growth

• Equity across all classes of farmers/regions

• Sustainable Agriculture

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Indian Agriculture – Thrust Areas

• Diversification of Agriculture

• Development of high yielding and climateresilient varieties of crops/seeds

• Water Management

• Conservation of soil and bio-diversity

• Soil Health Management

• Organic Farming

• Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centres

• Farm mechanization

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Soil• Soil, Land, Agriculture - Basis of food production

• Soil – Supplies crops with nutrients and water

• Continued intensive cropping without nutrients beingre-stored to soil – leads to deterioration in soil health –limiting food productivity

Healthy soil plays a key role in production of healthy food

Need for effective policies and actions for SoilHealth Management

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National Soil Health PolicyObjectives of Government of India• Promote Integrated Nutrient Management (INM)

through soil test based balanced use of nutrients, inconjunction with organic manures

• Strengthening soil testing facilities

• Soil test based recommendations to farmers

• Promote use of soil amendments for reclamation ofacidic/ alkaline soils

• To support various types of soil and land resourcesurveys for creating a comprehensive soil database

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Why New Scheme?

10

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2025

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Fo

od

gra

in p

rod

uct

ion

Elements deficient Foodgrain production (Mt)

N

Fe

N

K

P

Zn

Fe

N

Mn

S

K

P

Zn

Fe

N

B

Mn

S

K

P

Zn

Fe

N

B

Mn

S

K

P

Zn

Fe

N

Mo

B

Mn

S

K

P

Zn

Fe

N

?

Mo

B

Mn

S

K

P

Zn

Fe

N

Emerging nutrient

deficiencies

RANCHI (ALFISOLS)

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030

YearsO

C (%

)

100%NPK 100%NPK+ FYM Control

Declining organic

matter status

y = 1E+292x-88.1 (R2 = 0.949)

y = - 0.3434x + 692.52 (R2 = 0.830)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Years

PF

Pf

or

IFU

E (

kg f

oo

dg

rain

/kg

NP

K

fert

ilize

r

PFPf IFUE

Power (PFPf) Linear (IFUE)

Declining partial

factor

productivity

The Remedy ....

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IPNS-STCR

approach

Soil-test-based prescription with

an agro-ecological perspective

IPNS-STCR approach of plant nutrition is the key

Initiatives• Till 2014, the Government of India’s initiatives

– Setting up and strengthening of soil testing laboratories– Trainings for staff / extension officers / farmers– Demonstrations on balanced use of fertilizers– Creation of district soil fertility maps– Issue of Soil Health Cards

• Mainly State Governments initiatives• No uniformity

• For sustainable agriculture - Need felt for policy with focus on– Educating the farmers directly on soil health management

• Issue of Soil Health Cards to farmers once every three years– Uniform approach– Covering all the groups of farmers– Covering both irrigated and rainfed areas

Comprehensive Soil Health Card programme – launched in 2015 12

Objectives of Soil Testing –Soil Fertility Evaluation

• Assess nutrient status ofsoil-crop system

• Diagnose suspectednutrient imbalances

• Monitor effects ofmanagement on cropnutrient status and soilfertility

Soil Test Nutrient Level

Predicting Nutrient Responses

Objectives of Soil Testing –Soil Fertility Evaluation

Contd …

• Provide basis for making fertilizerrecommendations for

– improving crop yield and quality

– improving fertilizer use efficiency

– decreasing impacts on water quality

• Assess availability of toxic elements

• Improve soil quality

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Soil Health Card (SHC) Programme

Unique Features

• Issue of SHCs to all farmers once in every three years

• Uniform approach to collection of soil samples and testing

• Fertilizer recommendation based on crops as against general recommendations

• Universal coverage of all the farm holdings

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Soil Tests – the art and the science

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Recommendations for

fertility

(STCR)/amendment

Action

Representative sample collection

Lab accuracy, differences of

methods

Interpretation of the lab values –Soil test results

Cropping

history and

legume

credits

Manure

and

compost

credits

Late spring

nitrate test

Organic

matter

levels

sample handling, drying….

Previous Crop

Intended Crop

SHC Programme - FeaturesSoil Sampling• Uniform norms - grid of 2.5 ha in irrigated area and 10 ha in

rainfed area.

• GPS based soil sampling mandatory - to create a systematicdatabase and allow monitoring of changes in soil health

Soil Analysis• Uniform soil testing methodology

• 12 parameters being analyzed for comprehensiveness

• Mandatory analysis of secondary and micronutrients

• Country-wide campaign for the training of soil testing staff

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SHC Programme - FeaturesContd …

Issue of Soil Health Card• Uniform format of Soil Health Card

• Soil test based crop-wise fertilizer recommendation in thesoil health card

• Soil Health Card portal developed

– For online generation of soil health cards and fertilizerrecommendation.

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Tasks/Requirement

• Total of 2.53 crore samples – collected and tested in 3years

• Issue of about 14 crore SHCs

• Facilities in Soil testing laboratories for testing allparameters

• Trained manpower for

– Collection of samples

– Testing

– Database management

• Soil Sampling – Season influenced, limited window of 5months

• Soil testing – Season neutral, continue all 12 months19

POLITICAL MAP

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Number of States and UTs = 36

Number of districts(Units) = 676

Micro Level Planning

Unit-wise mapping of target to resources (Total 676 units)

– Mapping brings out unit-wise

• Number of samples to be collected/tested onmonthly basis

• Manpower available vis-à-vis required forcollection/testing

• Laboratories available vis-à-vis required for testing

• Manpower required for database management

– Necessary steps initiated to bridge the gap betweenavailable and required resources

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Micro Level Planning

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Collection of soil samplesUnit Holding No of samples to

be collected in (5x3) 15 months

No of samples to be collected in a

month

Manpower required

Manpower available

Srikakulam

Marginal 47682 3179 34

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Small 28013 1868 20

Semi-medium

16444 1096 12

Medium 7898 527 6

Large 1698 113 1

Total 101735 6782 73

Micro Level Planning

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Testing of soil samplesUnit Lab

availableLabs

required

Testing Facility

Manpower required

Manpower available

Srikakulam

Total

MN SulphurSoil

ChemistAnalyst

Soil Chemist

Analyst

A

3

No No 1 3 0 0

B No No 1 3 0 1

C No Yes 1 3 1 3

D Yes Yes 1 3 1 4

4 4 12 2 8

Soil Health Card Format

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Soil Health Card Format

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Soil Health Card Portal Features

• A single, generic, uniform and web based software

• Accessed at the URL www.soilhealth.dac.gov.in

• Uniform adoption of codes e.g. Census Codes for

Locations

• Sample tracking and alerts to farmers through SMS

& email

• Soil test based Fertilizer Recommendations

generation

• National database on Soil Health

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Soil Health Card Portal Modules

• Sample Registration

• Soil Sample Test Result Entry

• Fertilizers Recommendations

• Generation of Soil Health Card

• MIS

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Expected Outcome

• Direct service to the farmers

• Periodic issue of Soil Health Cards (SHCs) toassess periodic changes in soil health/fertility

• Raise awareness among farmers to use SHC

• National database on Soil Health for futureresearch/planning

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