Soil Health Card Scheme

✦Key Features

• Provides soil health cards with NPK (primary, secondary, micro) nutrient status
• Crop-wise fertilizer and input recommendation on each card
• 11.93 crore soil health cards distributed in Phase II (2017-19)
• Mobile soil testing vans for doorstep testing in Phase III
• Integrated with PM Fasal Bima Yojana and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi
• Digital Soil Health Card Portal for real-time tracking
• Balances fertilizer use: reduces overuse of nitrogen, corrects micronutrient deficiencies

✓Eligibility Criteria

• All farmers who own agricultural land in India.
• Farmers registered with the respective State Agriculture Departments.
• The scheme is applicable to all types of agricultural land, irrespective of landholding size.

★Benefits

• Provides scientific recommendations for nutrient application based on soil test results, leading to balanced fertilization.
• Helps in improving soil health and increasing agricultural productivity.
• Reduces the input costs for farmers by preventing the overuse of fertilizers.
• Contributes to enhanced crop yields and farm income.
• Promotes sustainable agricultural practices and environmental protection.

▶Application Process

• Farmers contact their local Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) or State Agriculture Department office.
• Soil samples are collected from their agricultural fields as per established protocols.
• Samples are tested at designated Soil Testing Laboratories for 12 key parameters.
• Based on the test results, a Soil Health Card is generated with crop-wise fertilizer recommendations.
• The Soil Health Card is then distributed to the farmers.

₹ Budget Allocation

568

Funding Ratio (Centre:State): 60:40 (90:10 for NE/Hilly; 100% for UTs)

Historical Context

Launched in February 2015 at Suratgarh, Rajasthan, to provide farmers with a comprehensive report on the nutrient status of their soil.