The shift from the conventional agriculture to modern agriculture, intensive agriculture dominated by economic considerations alone has accelerated the deterioration of the soil quality. The indiscriminate use of the chemical fertilizers without considering the actual requirement of the crop or the soil is one of the major causes affecting the soil quality. An intervention was highly essential so as to maintaining sustenance of soil health. Hence Soil Survey Unit intended to provide Soil health management support service to farmers by providing Soil health cards to individual farmers on per plot basis by launching the prestigious Soil Health Card programme during the Eleventh Plan period. The nutrient requirement of the crop and the nutrient supplying power of the soil governs the quantity of plant nutrients on which the crop is grown. Obtaining the maximum production potential of a particular crop also depends on the environment and the skill of the farmer/grower in identifying and eliminating those factors that reduce the production potential. With these objectives Soil Health card help to evaluate the health or quality of a soil as a function of its various characteristics.

 This card gives

 various physico-chemical properties like available macro and micro nutrients, water holding capacity, CEC, soil texture, content of exchangeable bases, exchangeable acidity ,soil pH, EC, organic carbon content.

• General recommendations on the management practices suitable to the particular plot.
• It provide site specific nutrient management plans ensuring availability of proper levels of nutrients to all parts of the field and avoiding excess applications ensuring reduction in input cost and eliminating deleterious effect of excess chemical use.

 Soil Health Management under NMSA (Central sector scheme)

Central sector scheme Soil Health Management under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture aims at promoting location as well as crop specific sustainable Soil Health Management including judicious application of fertilizers for improving soil health and its productivity. The Government of India envisages distribution of Soil Health cards to each and every farmer in the India under this scheme. The Department of Soil Survey and Soil Conservation jointly implemented the scheme in the state during 2015-16. Out of the target of 63800 soil samples to be collected from he state, the Department was assigned a major share of 43800 soil samples. Under the scheme, 45000 soil samples were collected, analysed and 32500 soil heath cards generated during 2015-16. Together with the Dept of Agriculture and other agencies, Kerala could generate 42000 cards taking the state to 3^rd position in the country. The Department has altogether issued over one lakh solo health cards under varius programmes since 2007.   

List of panchayats selected for soil health card distribution under Soil Health card scheme 2015-16