Agriculture Deptt launched Soil Testing campaign for Kharif

Chandigarh, May 13 (UNI) The Haryana Agriculture Department has launched a Soil Testing Campaign for Kharif-2007 under which the health of soil falling in the jurisidiction of each agriculture inspector and agriculture development officer in the state would be tested. The compaign would continue upto May 25.

A spokesman of the Agriculture Department said that under the Campaign soil health testing of selected villages and panchayat lands in the State would be done.

He said it would also be ensured that soil samples of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, minorities and women cultivators' are entered separately. Two soil health and soil testing awareness camps would also be organised in each district. He said while taking the sample of the soil, it would be ensured that at least 20 samples were taken from all the four corners of the village. He said that these samples would be sent to laboratory and the testing analysis report would be given to the respective agriculture inspector or SDO, Agriculture of the areas.

He said that after this process, the farmers of the villages and sarpanches of the panchayats would be issued soil health cards in which all the particulars about contents of soil like minerals, salts and other chemicals would be mentioned. By going through the card, the farmers will be able to know the deficiencies in their soil according to which they can put fertilizers and other inputs so as to earn maximum benefit out of farming with the guidance of the Agriculture Scientists.

The spokesman said that the Agriculture Department conducted a special soil health testing campaign every two years to know the deficiencies of minerals in agriculture land which adversely affected the productivity of crops. After getting the reports from the laboratories, the scientists would advise the farmers to take corrective measures by using fertilisers so that the health of the soil could be restored, he added.

UNI