What is a soil health card (SHC)?

The soil health card (SHC) is a printed report which contains status of a farmer’s soil with respect to 12 parameters, namely N,P,K (Macro-nutrients); S (Secondary- nutrient); Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Bo (Micro – nutrients); and pH, EC, OC (Physical parameters). Based on the above findings on the specific soil report, SHC recommends for dosage of different nutrients, the type of fertilizer to be used and also soil amendment required for the farm to improve the crop yield. This will give the farmer a proper idea of which nutrients their soil is lacking and on which crops they should invest in and which ones they should skip.
The SHC scheme is promoted by the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India. The scheme is being implemented in all the parts of the country through the Government Department of Agriculture of all the States and Union Territories. The concerned authorities will monitor the soil on a regular basis and once in 3 years the farmers will get a fresh report. So, farmers need not worry if the nature of the soil changes due to certain factors. Moreover, in the Soil Health Card Scheme, the government is paying attention that the same person carries out soil analysis for a farmer so as to enhance the effectiveness of the scheme. In fact, they will also employ experts to help farmers in carrying out the corrective measures on the basis of updated data about their soil.