Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements.
The nation-wide ‘Soil Health Card Scheme’ aims at
expanding the cultivable area under irrigation.
enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality.
checking the overuse of fertilisers in farmlands.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
1 and 2
Only 3
2 and 3
1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is incorrect
The Soil Health Card Scheme does not aim to expand the cultivable area under irrigation.
Expansion of irrigation coverage is addressed by irrigation-centred programmes such as the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana.
The Soil Health Card Scheme deals with soil testing, assessment of nutrient status and recommendations regarding the appropriate quantity of fertilisers.
Statement 2 is incorrect
The scheme was not introduced to enable banks to determine farmers’ creditworthiness or the quantum of agricultural loans.
A Soil Health Card reports the nutrient condition of the soil; it is not a document for land valuation, credit assessment or sanctioning agricultural loans.
Therefore, helping banks determine loan amounts on the basis of soil quality is not an objective of the scheme.
Statement 3 is correct
A Soil Health Card reports the nutrient status of a field and recommends the quantity of fertilisers required for particular crops.
It enables farmers to use soil-test-based, balanced quantities instead of applying excessive fertilisers on the basis of estimation.
Balanced application can reduce input costs, nutrient loss, soil acidification and water pollution.
Therefore, checking the overuse of fertilisers in farmland is one of the principal objectives of the scheme.
Important features of the Soil Health Card
The scheme was launched on 19 February 2015 at Suratgarh in Rajasthan.
Under its original design, farmers were to receive a Soil Health Card once every two years.
It is a soil-test-based diagnostic report for a farm holding, not merely a general certificate.
The card reports the condition of soil with respect to 12 parameters:
Macronutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Secondary nutrient: sulphur.
Micronutrients: zinc, iron, copper, manganese and boron.
Soil properties: pH, electrical conductivity and organic carbon.
Based on these results, it recommends crop-specific quantities of chemical fertilisers, bio-fertilisers, organic inputs and necessary soil amendments.
Soil pH indicates acidity or alkalinity, electrical conductivity indicates salinity, and organic carbon provides an indication of organic matter and the general fertility condition of the soil.
Therefore, only Statement 3 is correct.