Context:
On February 19, 2015, the Prime Minister Sri. Narendra Modi launched the Soil Health Card Scheme in Suratgarh, Rajasthan. Its primary purpose is to aid the governments to issue the Soil Health Cards (SHC) to all farmers in the country for knowing and understanding the states of nutrient availability and recommendation of appropriate dosage of fertilizers to improve soil health and fertility.
Soil Health Card Features
- The Soil Health Card consists of a data base of 12 parameters as follows:
- Macro nutrients: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sulfur (S)
- Micro nutrients: Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Boron (Bo)
- Other Indicators: pH (Acidity/Basicity), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Organic Carbon (OC)
Along with this, it gives fertilizer recommendations and soil amendment recommendations. The soil samples are usually collected twice during the years after harvesting of Rabi and Kharif crops or when there is no crop standing in the field.
Technological Advances
Soil Health Card Portal & Mobile Application
- To make the service accessible, a Soil Health Card Portal (www.soilhealth.dac.gov.in) was activated. In 2023, the government enlarged the portal by integrating it with Geographic Information System (GIS) for better results visualization after a sample is tested. The SHC mobile application also enriched with added features such as:
- Geo tagging of soil sample collection points.
- Auto selection of latitude & longitude.
- QR code linking for seamless tracking.
- Graphical representation of soil health data.
Soil sample collection has been made fast and transparent through the use of the mobile application since April, 2023.
Village Level Soil Testing Labs (VLSTLs)
- The government established VLSTLs in June 2023 for decentralized soil testing. A VLSTL can take form in the following ways:
- By individual entrepreneurs going in the age group 18-27 years.
- By Self Help Groups (SHGs).
- By Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs).
- By Agricultural Universities & Schools.
As of February 2025, a total of 665 VLSTLs were commissioned across 17 states, thus empowering communities locally to conduct soil testing.
School Soil Health Programme
- It aims to attract students towards awareness regarding sustainable agricultural practices. Below are its contributions:
- 1020 schools taking part
- 1000 soil testing laboratories set up
- 12,59,72 students registered
- Practical training in soil testing and data analysis
Integrated with Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
- Since 2022-23, the Soil Health Card Scheme is merged into the RKVY scheme under the component “Soil Health & Fertility” for better implementation throughout the country.
