The Soil Health Card scheme is progressing well and the process of validation of the soil samples collected from various locations is under way in the district.
According to S. Boovaraghan, Assistant Director of Agriculture, 3,10,464 families have been covered under the Mission for Soil Health Card across the district. In Cuddalore block, 17,524 families were covered and soil health cards distributed.
Details such as nature of soil, level of nutrients, salinity, alkalinity, acidity, calcium, chances of soil health reclamation, potential crops and recommendation on the levels of macro, micro nutrients and biofertilizer will be analysed and printed in the cards.
In an effort aimed at ensuring quality control of the soil fertility, validation and quality control, work has begun under the mission from April.
Staff sensitised
As part of this initiative, surface soil samples and profile soil samples are being collected for each and every revenue village. The field staff of agriculture have been sensitised to various aspects of identification of soil series with the help of GPS as well as cadastral maps and profile sampling methods by Deputy Director of Agriculture S.R. Balaji.
The analytical results with the data collected will be sent to the soil survey and land use organisation units functioning under the Department of Agriculture for validation and quality control, Mr. Boovaraghan said.
The Department of Agriculture has advised farmers to purchase the required chemical fertilizers from the approved retailers based on the recommendation of soil health card so that they can use the fertilizers in a balanced manner, besides reducing cost of cultivation.