More than 2.23 crore Soil Health Cards have been issued free of cost to farmers across Gujarat over the past two decades, enabling cultivators to reduce fertiliser consumption, lower production costs, and improve crop yields. The state has now set a fresh target of testing 2.18 lakh soil samples and issuing updated cards during the current year, according to state agricultural officials.

A Farmer's Turnaround in Bhavnagar

The tangible impact of the programme is visible in the fields of Hiren Nakrani, a cotton farmer from Gariadhar village in Bhavnagar district, who cultivates cotton on 12 bighas of land. Before enrolling in the scheme, Nakrani applied 400 kg of urea and 290 kg of DAP fertiliser annually — yet his output remained capped at around 200 maunds while cultivation costs kept climbing.

After submitting soil samples to the Soil Testing Laboratory in Bhavnagar on the advice of a village extension worker and receiving his Soil Health Card, his urea consumption fell to 180 kg and DAP to 140 kg — savings of 220 kg of urea and 150 kg of DAP. His cotton output simultaneously rose from 200 maunds to 281 maunds, a gain of more than 40 per cent, while cultivation costs were reportedly cut by roughly half.

Recalling the shift, Nakrani said: 'Earlier, we were shooting in the dark. We kept applying excessive bags of fertiliser in the hope of increasing production and ended up damaging the soil. But when the Soil Health Card came into our hands, we realised that it was the X-ray report of our land. Now we apply only the quantity of fertiliser that is actually required according to the recommendations. As a result, our costs have halved, and the crop yield has increased substantially.'

Soil Regeneration in Surendranagar

Arun Meniya, a farmer from Lakhtar taluka in Surendranagar district, reported that soil testing prompted a shift toward organic fertilisers in his fields. 'After receiving the Soil Health Card, my land was tested, and I began using organic fertilisers. As a result, the hardened soil in my fields became softer, and the moisture-retention capacity of the land improved,' he said.

What the Card Analyses

Parul Parmar, Assistant Director of Agriculture at the Gandhinagar Soil Testing Laboratory, explained that each card analyses 12 soil parameters — six major nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and six micronutrients including copper, iron, zinc, and manganese. 'Based on this analysis, recommendations are provided to farmers regarding fertiliser use. Applying fertilisers according to these recommendations prevents unnecessary wastage and helps maintain soil health,' Parmar said.

Gujarat currently operates 21 soil-testing laboratories and one specialised micronutrient laboratory to carry out this analysis statewide.

How to Collect Samples Correctly

Rakesh Sapariya, Assistant Director of Agriculture, stressed that accurate results depend on correct sample collection. Samples should be drawn from 10 to 20 locations within a hectare using a zig-zag method, avoiding field boundaries, roadsides, waterlogged areas, or spots under tree shade. Soil must be collected from pits 15 to 20 centimetres deep, thoroughly mixed, divided into four parts, and reduced to a representative 500-gram sample before dispatch to the laboratory.

From Gujarat to a National Scheme

The Soil Health Card initiative originated in Gujarat in 2003-04, when the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns about declining soil fertility caused by excessive and indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers. The underlying idea — that laboratory tests used to assess human health could be adapted to evaluate agricultural land — made Gujarat the first state in the country to implement the programme.

Following its reported success in the state, the scheme was expanded nationally in 2015 after Modi became Prime Minister. The combined efforts of the Gujarat and central governments now aim to test 2.18 lakh soil samples in the current year as part of a broader push to promote scientific farming, restore soil fertility, and sustain agricultural productivity.