In a combined effort including the corporate houses and the State Government, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has been facilitating soil health cards for farmers.
The ICRISAT coordinated the soil testing from the individual farm level identified by the Geographic Information System (GIS) including micronutrients.
Soil samples
The farmers were trained in collecting their own soil samples.
Soil nutrient deficiencies were then identified in ICRISAT laboratories and fertilizer recommendations given separately for 16 different crops (ranging from paddy to millets) for individual farmers.
As many as 79 farmers of Naganpally village received their soil health card and individual fertilizer recommendations on Tuesday.
The next step would be to conduct on-farm trials to show the yield gains and net profits. This was part of the CSR of Ramoji Foundation in two villages. Other villages have been helped through CSR of SABMiller (10 villages) and Asian Paints (6 villages), and with the Medak Collector (20 villages).
First State
Karnataka is the first State to have achieved soil micronutrient mapping at farm level across the whole state. The initiative with farmers was monitored and recorded to lead to 20 to 66 percent productivity gains over all districts.
“Soil heath card is vital to a holistic approach.
ICRISAT has a strong belief in a holistic approach, as any one intervention will only deliver its full advantage when all part of the value chain are also developed. Typically this includes watershed management, access to seeds of improved crop varieties, integration with livestock, on-farm practices including water use efficiency, links to markets, processing and agribusiness,” said Dr Suhas P Wani, Director ICRISAT Development Centre.
