Soil Nutrient Management: SHC Progress and Gaps in India
Why in the news
Notes on how imbalanced fertiliser use harms soil and how Soil Health Card (SHC) schemes and new testing technology are trying to fix it.
The problem
- The subsidy design favours urea, so nitrogen is overused while phosphorus and potassium are neglected.
- Soil degradation and groundwater pollution follow.
| NPK ratio | Value |
|---|---|
| Actual, 2021-22 | 7.7:3.1:1 |
| Ideal | 4:2:1 |
Progress through SHC
- Over 247 million SHCs issued with tailored recommendations.
- 8,272 Soil Testing Labs (STLs), including 665 village-level labs in 17 states.
- 1,020 schools run soil health programmes, with over 100,000 students.
- Geospatial tools and the SHC mobile app enable precision mapping and live sample tracking.
Issues
- Labs lack staff and resources, delaying results.
- Farmers often do not receive or follow SHC advice.
Technology
- KRISHIRASTAA: portable, AI-enabled, IoT-based kit, developed by ICAR-IIRR with startup KrishiTantra; 12 tests in 30 minutes.
- AgriTech startups use AI for faster, cheaper testing.
Way forward
- Real-time agronomic advice, farmer awareness, stronger labs and workforce, and wider AI-enabled testing.
Exam angle
- Ideal NPK ratio: 4:2:1.
- KRISHIRASTAA developers: ICAR-IIRR and KrishiTantra.