Lok Sabha Question No. 758 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-01
Subject: Fertility of Soil
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: RAJESHBHAI NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.758

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 1 ST  MARCH, 2016

## FERTILITY OF SOIL

## 758.     SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has evaluated the fertility of soil/arable land across the country, if so, the norms adopted for the purpose and the extent of micronutrients deficiency noticed in the country, State-wise;
- (b) the  details  of  the  schemes  and  projects  under  implementation  to  check  the  declining fertility of agricultural land and improve the fertility of soil for increasing agricultural production in the country including Gujarat; and
- (c) the success achieved thereunder, so far, in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्राऱय में राज्य मंत्री (SHRI  MOHANBHAI  KUNDARIYA)

- (a):     Government has launched Soil Health Card Scheme to evaluate fertility of soils/ arable land across the country and to provide soil test based fertilizer recommendation to farmers in the country. The  basic norms adopted for the purpose are :-
- (i)    The soil samples collection should be GIS based and
- (ii)   In irrigated areas, samples will be drawn in a grid of 2.5 ha and in rainfed areas sampling will be done in 10 ha. Grid.

The assessment made by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under All India Coordinated  Research  Project  on  'Micro  and  Secondary  Nutrients  and  Pollutant  Elements  in soils  and  Plants'  revealed  that  nearly  43.0,  12.1,  5.5,  5.4,  and  18.3  per  cent  samples  were deficient in Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Coper and Boron, respectively across the country.  Statewise details are given in Annexure.

- (b):        Government  is  implementing  Soil  Health  Management  and  Soil  Health  Card  Schemes during 12 th Plan period in the country including Gujarat.  Soil test based application of fertilizers is essential to improve soil health and productivity. The Government is promoting soil test based balanced  and  judicious  use  of  chemical  fertilizers,  bio-fertilizers  and  locally  available  organic manures like Farm Yard Manure, compost, Vermi Compost and Green manure to maintain soil health and its productivity.   'Soil Health Card' (SHC) scheme has been launched in February 2015 to assist State Governments to evaluate fertility in all 14 crore farm holdings and issue soil

health cards to farmers regularly in a cycle of 2 years.    Soil health cards provide information to farmers on nutrient status of their soil along with recommendations on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility.

(c)      In 2015-16, so far, under Soil Health Card Scheme aginst target of 100 lakh soil samples, 81 lakh collected and against the target of 5 crore Soil health Cards 1.12 crore cards issued to farmers & 2 crore cards under printing.

Under Soil Health Management  (SHM) scheme, setting up of 103 new static and 77 new mobile soil testing laboratories and  269 existing Soil Testing Laboratories strengthened have been sanctioned during 2014-15  and 2015-16.

Annexure

| Extent of micronutrient deficiency in soils of different states of India   | Extent of micronutrient deficiency in soils of different states of India   | Extent of micronutrient deficiency in soils of different states of India   | Extent of micronutrient deficiency in soils of different states of India   | Extent of micronutrient deficiency in soils of different states of India   | Extent of micronutrient deficiency in soils of different states of India   | Extent of micronutrient deficiency in soils of different states of India   | Extent of micronutrient deficiency in soils of different states of India   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| State                                                                      | DTPA-extractable micronutrients                                            | DTPA-extractable micronutrients                                            | DTPA-extractable micronutrients                                            | DTPA-extractable micronutrients                                            | DTPA-extractable micronutrients                                            | Hot water soluble B                                                        | Hot water soluble B                                                        |
|                                                                            | of samples                                                                 | No. Percent samples                                                        | No. Percent samples                                                        | No. Percent samples                                                        | No. Percent samples                                                        | of samples                                                                 | Percent                                                                    |
|                                                                            |                                                                            | Zn                                                                         | Fe                                                                         | Cu                                                                         | Mn                                                                         |                                                                            | samples deficient                                                          |
| Andhra Pradesh                                                             | 6723                                                                       | 22.3                                                                       | 16.8                                                                       | 1.0                                                                        | 1.7                                                                        | 3216                                                                       | 2.8                                                                        |
| Assam                                                                      | 5216                                                                       | 25.5                                                                       | 0.0                                                                        | 3.8                                                                        | 0.0                                                                        | 5216                                                                       | 11.9                                                                       |
| Bihar                                                                      | 7304                                                                       | 41.4                                                                       | 12.3                                                                       | 1.8                                                                        | 7.8                                                                        | 3597                                                                       | 33.3                                                                       |
| Gujarat                                                                    | 5470                                                                       | 23.1                                                                       | 23.9                                                                       | 0.4                                                                        | 6.3                                                                        | 5470                                                                       | 17.9                                                                       |
| Haryana                                                                    | 5673                                                                       | 15.3                                                                       | 21.6                                                                       | 5.2                                                                        | 6.1                                                                        | 5673                                                                       | 3.3                                                                        |
| Himachal Pradesh                                                           | 642                                                                        | 1.4                                                                        | 7.8                                                                        | 0.2                                                                        | 22.1                                                                       | 161                                                                        | 8.7                                                                        |
| Jharkhand                                                                  | 443                                                                        | 20.3                                                                       | 0.0                                                                        | 0.5                                                                        | 0.0                                                                        | 443                                                                        | 56.0                                                                       |
| Madhya Pradesh                                                             | 7580                                                                       | 61.7                                                                       | 9.6                                                                        | 0.2                                                                        | 1.6                                                                        | 3330                                                                       | 2.4                                                                        |
| Maharashtra                                                                | 8278                                                                       | 54.0                                                                       | 21.5                                                                       | 0.2                                                                        | 3.8                                                                        | 489                                                                        | 54.8                                                                       |
| Odisha                                                                     | 2349                                                                       | 22.7                                                                       | 1.8                                                                        | 0.3                                                                        | 1.1                                                                        | 2349                                                                       | 52.5                                                                       |
| Punjab                                                                     | 2181                                                                       | 16.6                                                                       | 6.2                                                                        | 3.6                                                                        | 15.2                                                                       | 1083                                                                       | 17.5                                                                       |
| Tamil Nadu                                                                 | 31080                                                                      | 65.5                                                                       | 10.6                                                                       | 13.0                                                                       | 7.9                                                                        | 31080                                                                      | 19.9                                                                       |
| Telangana                                                                  | 4799                                                                       | 26.9                                                                       | 17.0                                                                       | 1.4                                                                        | 3.8                                                                        | 2776                                                                       | 16.1                                                                       |
| Uttar Pradesh                                                              | 4788                                                                       | 33.1                                                                       | 7.6                                                                        | 6.3                                                                        | 6.5                                                                        | 4323                                                                       | 16.2                                                                       |
| Uttarakhand                                                                | 2575                                                                       | 9.6                                                                        | 1.4                                                                        | 1.4                                                                        | 4.7                                                                        | 2575                                                                       | 7.0                                                                        |
| West Bengal                                                                | 2363                                                                       | 11.9                                                                       | 0.0                                                                        | 1.2                                                                        | 0.9                                                                        | 1849                                                                       | 46.9                                                                       |
| All India                                                                  | 97464                                                                      | 43.0                                                                       | 12.1                                                                       | 5.4                                                                        | 5.5                                                                        | 73630                                                                      | 18.3                                                                       |

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