Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 19: Agriculture Department organized awareness programme on soil testing and soil health management at Block Meira Mandarian, Akhnoor.
The programme was jointly conducted by Sub Division Agriculture Office Akhnoor and Soil Testing Wing Jammu.
SDAO Akhnoor SK Langer along with team of experts from Soil Testing Laboratory Jammu including Research Officer Neeraj Rajwal, Om Singh, AEO, JAEO OP Sharma, AEA’s Dheeraj Gupta and Rajoo Dhar with Hi-Tech Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory conducted the awareness drive.
Under village to village awareness campaign, the team visited various villages of Panchayats Balgara and Maira Mandarian. Demonstrations on taking good soil sample were given to farmers. Speaking on the occasion SDAO SK Langer gave lecture on importance of various crop nutrients.
Neeraj Rajwal briefed about the centrally sponsored soil health card scheme to the farmers. He added that the programme was conducted to educate the farming community of the area regarding importance of soil testing and soil health management. Cultivable land is decreasing day by day due to unhealthy soil conditions and construction of houses and buildings on the agriculture land, and to ensure food to everyone we have to make soil healthier, so that desired yield can be achieved, he said.
He stressed that fertilizers are expensive input and farmers should apply these fertilizers strictly on soil test repots and crop specific recommendations made by soil testing laboratories of the Agriculture Department. He urged the farmers that soil health card scheme is running successfully in the country and farmers should take advantage of the soil testing facilities provided by Department of Agriculture Jammu free of cost to farmers.
He suggested farmers not to take risk of applying chemical fertilizers on guess bases as unwanted and excess fertilizer application can lead to drastic reduction in soil productivity, water pollution, serious health hazards to humans and animals also.
During the programme, on spot soil sampling with global positioning system and soil testing was also conducted through Hi-Tech Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory.
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