Can Soil Testing Tell Farmers Which Fertiliser to Use? What the Soil Health Card Actually Shows

Farmers often apply fertiliser based on past experience, neighbouring fields or the crop they are growing. Soil testing offers another way to decide. India’s Soil Health Card scheme provides farmers with a report on nutrient status and recommendations for fertilisers and soil amendments.

The card does not simply say whether soil is good or bad. It reports specific measurements and classifies nutrient levels, helping farmers understand what their field may need. The government says the scheme aims to support balanced fertiliser use and better soil management across farms.

What does a Soil Health Card measure?

The Soil Health Card covers 12 parameters. These include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur, along with zinc, iron, copper, manganese and boron. It also records soil pH, electrical conductivity and organic carbon.

Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are major nutrients required by crops. Sulphur is another important nutrient, while zinc, iron, copper, manganese and boron are needed in smaller quantities. A deficiency in any of these can affect crop growth depending on the crop and soil.

The card also gives information beyond nutrients. Soil pH indicates whether soil is acidic or alkaline, while electrical conductivity indicates the level of soluble salts. Organic carbon provides an indication of the carbon content of soil and helps assess its fertility status.

The Soil Health Card gives nutrient results along with crop-specific recommendations. The government says recommendations can include suitable fertilisers, quantities and soil amendments based on the test results and the crop being considered.

This matters because two fields growing the same crop may not have identical nutrient needs. Soil type, previous crops, fertiliser use, irrigation and organic inputs can all affect nutrient availability. Testing provides field-specific information instead of relying entirely on a standard fertiliser dose.

The card can also show nutrients as low, medium or high. Farmers can use these results to understand where a deficiency exists and discuss the recommended corrective action with an agriculture officer, KVK or soil-testing laboratory.

Why should farmers test soil before fertilising?

Applying more fertiliser does not automatically mean higher production. If a field already contains sufficient amounts of a nutrient, adding more may increase costs without providing the expected benefit. Balanced fertilisation aims to match nutrient application more closely with crop requirements and soil conditions.

The government says the Soil Health Card scheme promotes judicious fertiliser use and can help reduce cultivation costs. The recommendations cover chemical fertilisers as well as bio-fertilisers, organic inputs and soil treatments.

This approach also helps farmers identify nutrients that may receive less attention. A farmer may focus on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium while overlooking sulphur or micronutrients. Soil testing can show whether such nutrients are deficient before farmers spend money correcting them.

The quality of the result depends partly on how the sample is collected. The Soil Health Card portal says samples are generally collected from 15–20 centimetres depth using a V-shaped cut, with soil taken from different parts of the field and mixed before testing.

Areas with unusual conditions should not automatically represent the entire field. The official sampling guidance says shaded areas should be avoided, while samples are collected from multiple locations before a representative portion is submitted for analysis.

Farmers should not simply collect soil from one corner and assume it represents the whole field. Where possible, they should follow the sampling method used by the agriculture department or testing laboratory so that recommendations are based on a representative sample.

Where can farmers get soil tested?

Farmers can approach their district or block agriculture office for soil testing and Soil Health Card generation. Samples may be tested through government soil-testing laboratories, mobile laboratories, ICAR institutions, KVKs and agricultural universities, depending on the available facilities.

The government has also supported different types of soil-testing facilities, including static, mobile, mini and village-level laboratories. ICAR has developed digital soil-test kits for rapid estimation of the 12 parameters covered under the Soil Health Card.

Farmers should ask the local agriculture department about the nearest authorised testing facility. They should also keep information about the landholding and crop available because the final recommendations depend on the field and intended crop.

Government material published in 2026 says Soil Health Cards are issued every two years and provide farmers with updated information on nutrient status and soil conditions. Regular testing can help track changes in soil after repeated cropping and fertiliser applications.

Farmers should not treat an old soil report as a permanent description of their field. Nutrient levels can change with crop removal, fertiliser use, manure application, irrigation and other management practices.

Keeping previous reports can also help farmers compare changes over time. A farmer can see whether a nutrient deficiency has improved or whether soil properties have changed after adopting a new fertiliser or organic-input strategy.

What are common mistakes?

One mistake is looking only at the fertiliser quantity without understanding the recommendation. Farmers should check which crop the recommendation refers to and whether it covers the entire nutrient requirement or a specific deficiency.

Another mistake is ignoring soil pH and organic carbon. Nutrient availability can be affected by soil conditions, so simply adding more fertiliser may not address the underlying problem. Farmers should discuss unusual results with trained agriculture or soil experts.

Farmers should also avoid buying expensive soil amendments without confirming that their soil actually needs them. The purpose of testing is to replace guesswork with information, not to create another list of products to purchase.

The government reported that 25.89 crore Soil Health Cards had been generated by 13 March 2026. It also reported about 7.17 lakh demonstrations promoting balanced fertiliser use, supported through Agricultural Technology Management Agency and KVK advisories.

The government has also created village-level soil fertility maps in several states. These maps are intended to help farmers understand local soil conditions and make better decisions about fertiliser use and crop management.

The figures show the scale of the programme, but a card is useful only when farmers act on its recommendations. The most practical use is to combine the test results with crop choice, farm history, available organic inputs and advice from local agriculture experts.

What should farmers do after receiving the card?

Start by checking the crop-specific recommendation and identifying nutrients marked low, medium or high. Then compare the recommended fertiliser quantities with what you normally apply. If the figures differ substantially, discuss the reason with a KVK or agriculture officer before changing the programme.

Farmers should keep the card and previous test reports safely. They can use these records to track soil changes and adjust fertiliser, manure and other inputs over time.

A Soil Health Card cannot guarantee higher yields because production also depends on seed, water, weather, pests and crop management. Its value is more specific. It gives farmers tested information about their soil so fertiliser and soil-management decisions can be based on the field rather than guesswork.