The Agriculture Department will be starting a drive to issue soil health cards across the district from December 5. Participating in a meeting on the Central government’s Soil Health Mission here on Wednesday, Joint Director H. Kempegowda said soil health cards will be given to all the 2,09,000 small, medium and large land holding farmers across the district in two phases. While half the land holders will be covered in the first year, the other half will be covered next year.
Mr. Kempegowda said the 2 lakh-odd land holders have been divided into 48, 652 units by considering 10 hectares of land as one unit.
While this year they will be covering 24,326 units, they will be covering the remaining units next year.
Mr. Kempegowda said samples will be collected from each of the land holding and images of it will be uploaded to the server.
Sample testing
The samples will be tested, among others, for pH value, nutrients and levels of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. After three days of testing, reports will be sent to individual farmers. There was also facility for farmer to ask for specific testing of soil for the crop he/she wants to grow in his land.
S.M. Jayaprakash, Soil Scientist, University of Agriculture’s Zonal Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station, Brahmavar, said with soil testing the farmer gets to know the fertility status of the soil. As the farmer gets to know fertility of the soil, the overuse of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium can be prevented. If a farmer wants to go for multi cropping, he/she can get information about requirements for such crops. The soil health card helps in preventing soil turn arsenic, which reduces plants resistance to diseases. Mr. Kempegowda said soil testing will be done in the Government laboratory in Hampankatta, which had been closed for several weeks. This laboratory was being strengthened and reopened. The testing will also be done in the laboratory of Krishi Vignan Kendra in Fisheries College premises in Mangaluru and in laboratory of Central Plantation Crops Research Institute in Vitla.
Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim and Chief Executive Officer of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat P.I. Sreevidya attended the meeting.

Source : The Hindu