Success of site specific soil health management relies more on the farmers’ knowledge on soil health. This rational has brought forth the concept of soil health card (SHC) scheme for providing an advisory to the farmers for managing their crop field based on soil test result for using of fertilizers and amendments. SHC is issued every 3 years. Very uniqueness of this scheme is the site specific nutrient management through direct involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions in the implementation of this scheme and its involvement in publicizing the demonstrations. Apart from soil test result and recommendation, farmers also need information for site specific nutrient management on deficiency symptoms of different major and minor nutrients on different crops and their mitigation measures, differentiating nutrient deficiency symptoms and disease symptoms on crops, organic manures and recycling of biomass and selection of soil amendments. Due to varied nature of soil physical and chemical properties and socio-economic conditions of the farmers no single extension approach is appropriate for all agro-climatic conditions, rather holistic approach by integration of different extension approaches (viz general extension approach, commodity specialized approach, training and visit approach, participatory approach, project approach, farming systems development approach, cost sharing approach, educational institution approach, etc) are best ways to make the SHC scheme successful.
Soil health card, extension approach, nutrient management
