A web-based information system on soil fertility that helps farmers choose crops best suited to a given region/soil type will soon cover the entire State.
Technopark-based Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala (IIITM-K) is creating the Kerala Soil Health Information System for the State Agriculture Department.
Farmers can log on to www.keralasoilfertility.net to learn about the soil character in a particular region. The nutrient management plan is now ready at the panchayat level for the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, and Thrissur. The work is progressing in other districts.
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Enhanced productivity
According to the government, trials carried out using the information system have shown enhanced productivity in the case of tapioca, vegetables, and paddy. Paddy productivity rose by 67% while that of vegetables and tapioca rose by 53% and 32%.
In Kanthalloor, carrot production rose by 53%.
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The resources of the www.keralasoilfertility.net portal are drawn from a large database created under the ‘Soil-based plant nutrient management plan for agro-ecosystems of Kerala’ under a multiinstitutional programme led by the Planning Board and the Agriculture Department.
The portal covers soil health indicators, soil health assessment, nutrient management plan, and best management practices for optimising crop production and sustaining soil health.