Soil Health Card Sheme- Gujarat and MP State Vendors Required

                               

Guidelines for Outsourcing of Soil Samples Analysis Under Soil Health Card(SHC) Scheme for the States of Gujarat & MP Available. Register and Comment here if you are looking for vendorship Districtwise or Statewise...

Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmer Welfare

Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India     

SOIL HEALTH CARD SCHEME– PAN India

Overview:

             Soil Health Card Scheme is a scheme launched by the Government of India in February 2015. Under the scheme, the Government plans to issue soil cards to farmers which will carry crop-wise recommendations of nutrients and fertilizers required for the individual farms to help farmers to improve productivity through judicious use of inputs. All soil samples are to be tested in various soil testing labs across the country. Thereafter the experts will analyze the strength and weaknesses (micro-nutrients deficiency) of the soil and suggest measures to deal with it. The result and suggestion will be displayed in the cards. The Government plans to issue the cards to 14 crore farmers.

It will be implemented through the Department of Agriculture of all the State and Union Territory Governments. A SHC is meant to give each

Farmer soil nutrient status of his holding and advice him on the dosage

Of fertilizers and also the needed soil amendments, that he should apply to maintain soil health in the long run.

Objective:

Ø To issue soil health cards every 3 years, to all farmers of the country, so as to provide a basis to address nutrient deficiencies in fertilization practices

Ø To strengthen functioning of Soil Testing Laboratories (STLs) through capacity building, involvement of agriculture students and effective linkage with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) / State Agricultural Universities (SAUs).

Ø To diagnose soil fertility related constraints with standardized procedures for sampling uniformly across states and analysis and design Taluk / Block level fertilizer recommendations in targeted districts.

  

Ø To develop and promote soil test based nutrient management in the districts for enhancing nutrient use efficiency.

Ø To build capacities of district and state level staff and of progressive farmers for promotion of nutrient management practices.

Soil Health Card (SHC):

                 SHC is a printed report that a farmer will be handed over for each of his holdings. It will contain the status of his 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 this, the SHC will also indicate fertilizer recommendations and soil amendment required for the farm.

Details in a Soil Health Card (SHC):

Ø Information regarding Soil Fertility.

Ø Dosage of fertilizer application in crops

Ø Information on soil amendments of saline or alkaline soil.

Ø Recommendation on integrated nutrient management.

Benefits of Farmers Using SHC Card:

                     The SHC card will contain an advisory based on the soil nutrient status of a farmer’s holding. It will show recommendations on dosage of different nutrients needed. Further, it will advise the farmer on the fertilizers and their quantities he should apply, and also the soil amendments that he should undertake, so as to realize optimal yields. It will be made available once in a cycle of 3 years, which will indicate the status of soil health of a farmer’s holding for that particular period. The SHC given in the next cycle of 3 years will be able to record the changes in the soil health for that subsequent period.

SHC Card Benefits:

Generation of Uniform SHC:

            The Generation of Uniform Soil Health Card and Fertilizer Recommendation which has four modules: State Government

v Registration of Soil Samples

v Testing of Samples in Soil Testing Laboratory.

v Fertilizer recommendation based on Soil Test Crop

Response(STCR) Equations

v  MIS Report 

Scope of Work:

Ø The State Government will collect samples through the staff of their Department of Agriculture or through the staff of an Outsourced Agency.

Ø Soil Samples are taken generally two times in a year, after harvesting of Rabi and Kharif Crop respectively or when there is no standing crop in the field.

Ø Soil Samples will be collected by a trained person from a depth of 15-20 cm by cutting the soil in a “V” shape. It will be collected from four corners and the centre of the field and mixed thoroughly and a part of this picked up as a sample. Areas with shade will be avoided. The sample chosen will be bagged and coded.  It will then be transferred to soil test laboratory for analysis.

Ø The State Government will refer 1% of all the samples in a year to a “Referral Laboratory” to analyze and certify on the results of Primary Laboratory. The State Government will be supported to establish Referral Laboratories as required.

Ø It is a facility for testing the soil sample for 12 parameters as indicated below.  This facility can be static or mobile or it can even be portable to be used in remote areas. The soil sample will be tested as per the approved standards for all the agreed 12 parameters in the following way:

➽   At the STLs owned by the Department of Agriculture and by their own staff.

➽   At the STLs owned by the Department of Agriculture but by the

         staff of the Outsourced Agency .                

➽   At the STLs owned by the Outsourced Agency and by their staff.

➽   At ICAR Institutions including KVKs and SAUs.

➽   At the laboratories of the Science Colleges/Universities by the

         students under supervision of a Professor/ Scientist.

Norms of Soil Sampling/Analysis/Fertilizers Use/ Random Checking and Financial Assistance

Ø Norms of soil sampling:

            The quality of soil testing results and fertilizer recommendation depends upon soil sampling. For this, following Scientific norms are prescribed.  

➽   In the irrigated areas, samples will be drawn in a grid of 2.5 ha. In rainfed areas, sampling will be done in a 10ha. grid.

➽   In irrigated areas, large, medium and semi-medium holdings will be sampled and tested holding-wise. In case of marginal and small holdings sampling in a 2.5 ha. grid will be followed. 

I   

➽   GPS co-ordinates have to be essentially recorded at the time of soil sampling which will be downloaded in the STL computer.

➽   The target villages will use Stratified Sampling Techniques.. Samples will be collected from marginal, small and large farms to address variations that arise due to different management practices. Within each farm size class, samples will be chosen to represent all possible soil fertility variations.
➽ In rainfed areas, all the large holdings will be sampled and tested holdingwise and incase of medium, semi-medium, small & marginal holdings will be sampled and tested in a 10ha. grid.

➽The ideal time for collection of soil samples is between sowing/planting of other crop, when fields are vacant. The Sampling depth for field crops should kept 0 to 15cm.

➽Sample has to be collected preferably with the help of stainless steel tube augur, or alternatively with a khurpi/spade or kassi.

➽ A brief training to the soil sampling staff/students/farmers/ necessary to ensure collection of representative soil sample, their labeling and transport
     of the STLs.

Ø Soil Analysis:

➽   Soil samples should be processed following standard procedures and analyzed for various parameters namely pH, electrical conductivity (EC), Organic Carbon available N, P, K, S and micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn & B). In addition, science colleges having soil testing laboratories may be assigned the task of soil testing. The students can do the work of soil testing under guidance and micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn & B).

➽   In addition, science colleges having soil testing laboratories may be assigned the task of soil testing. The students can do the work of soil testing under guidance and supervision of professors.

➽   To overcome staff shortage, the testing of samples in the soil testing laboratories may be outsourced to private agencies. Alternatively, JRFs may be employed for testing of soil samples. 

➽   The soil analysis has to be completed within 3 weeks of receipt of soil samples in the STL.

➽   In addition to distribution of SHCs through post/extension

     staff, mechanism will be developed for online delivery of soil

     health cards also to the farmers using ICT.

➽    The nodal soil test lab shall prepare time lines for scheduling the soil health cards in the district in phases. The year wise coverage of number of Taluks/Blocks may be prepared so that a continuous soil analysis takes place every three years.

Ø Fertilizer use /Management:

➽    Based on soil analysis, fertilizer recommendations will be developed, considering the available infrastructure for the small holders.

➽    The critical values for delineating deficiency levels will be tested and doses recommendations for applications. 

➽    Soil test based applications for removing deficiencies will be standardized as a component of agronomic practice for the selected crops.

➽    Timelines will be determined for nutrient status mapping based on soil fertility analysis and productivity enhancement through application of deficient nutrients. Data will be developed for diagnostic soil analysis and deficient fields in each district.  Nutrient recommendations will be prepared for Kharif and rabi crops. Block wise fertilizer dosage adjusted for soil test nutrient status for various crops will be developed.

Ø Random Checking of Soil Analysis for Quality Improvement

➽   Mechanism will be developed for random checking of 1% samples of total, analyzed samples by external agencies for ensuring the quality of soil analysis. 

➽   A team of Deputy Director of Agriculture (Ext.), District Agriculture Of Agriculture (STL) and a Soil Scientist from SAU/ ICAR would jointly monitor, inspect and evaluate the functioning of STLs / other concerned agencies pertaining to issue of soil health cards in the respective districts.

➽    Joint Certificate will be issued from District Agriculture officer, Sarpanch and Gram Sevak regarding satisfactory sample collection work. Also the list of farmers whose soil sample has been collected will be displayed at gram Panchayat Office.

Ø Financial Assistance for Package of Nutrient Recommendations

➽   Utility of soil health cards lies in the adoption of recommendations entailed therein by the farmers. For this specific  purpose, awareness programmes for farmers and soil sampling teams will be organized by experts under SAUs/ICAR institutes/Central Agricultural University (CAUs) and other agricultural colleges.

➽   In the target villages, financial assistance for soil test based nutrient balancing will be provided to farmers. And productivity linked nutrient recommendations will be provided. Willing farmers will be registered for application of recommended doses to supplement organic and inorganic nutrients.

➽   For acidic soils (pH below normal) and alkaline/saline soils (pH above normal), Gypsum/liming materials are to be used. The Agriculture Officer of the area need to be contacted for reclamation of soil.

➽   A field day shall be arranged at appropriate crop growth stage for farmers of the same and nearby villages. Subject matter specialists should explain the advantages of soil test based fertilization and need based use of soil amendments.

➽   A feedback mechanism on the adoption of soil test based prescriptions given in the soil health cards will be developed by DAC involving the experts from SAUs/ICAR institutes and State Department of Agriculture, so as to assess the real utilization of the soil health cards by the farmers.

List of Suggestive Equipments for Static/Mobile Soil Testing Laboratories(STLs):

Admissible items including illustrative list of equipment for setting up of Mobile/ Static Soil Testing Laboratory with annual analyzing capacity of 10,000 samples per annum (For analyzing NPK, secondary nutrients & micronutrients in soil and water) List of suggestive Equipments for Static/Mobile STLs

S.No	Item	Quantity
1	Inductively Couples Plasma Spectrophotometer/ Atomic Spectrophotometer(ICP/AAS)Conductivity	1
2	Meter	2
3	pH Meter	2
4	Shaking Apparatus	2
5	Electronic Balance	1
6	Analytical Balance/Top Loading Balance	2
7	Drying Oven	1
8	Computer with appropriate Software	1
9	Table Top Centrifuge	1
10	GPS System with Mobile phone	1
11	Miscellaneous Equipments such as Distillation unit, Sieving system, Auto Titrators, Bar code scanner & Printer etc	-

List of Suggestive Equipments for Mobile STLs

S.No	Item	Quantity
1	Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer(AAS) for MSTL	1
2	Flame PhotoMeter
3	Conductivity Meter	1
4	pH Meter	2
5	Shaking Apparatus	2
6	Electronic Balance	2
7	Analytical Balance/Top Loading Balance	1
8	Drying Oven	2
9	Computer with appropriate Software	1
10	Table Top Centrifuge	1
11	GPS System with Mobile phone	1
12	Portable Genset of 7.5KVA Silent Type	1
13	Portable Kit	-
14	Customized Vehicle	2

Financial Assistance of 80% of total project cost to State Govt. for SSTL subject to a maximum limit of Rs 56 lakh per SSTL/MSTL

Short Film on Soil Health Card:

                                     Soil Health Card Short Film

Commercials:

Ø For the services rendered by the Outsourced Agencies, they shall be entitled for payment of Rs.10/- to Rs.15/- Price per Survey is provided to State Governments. This covers the cost of collection

of area survey, noting,entering and double checking of the correctness in the survey.

Ø The rates so fixed are inclusive of all taxes (GST), duties, and levies etc imposed by the State/Central Government and Local Bodies as on the date of award of the work. Nothing shall be payable extra under any circumstances. However, TDS will be deducted as per Income Tax.

Billing Cycle:

Ø Outsourced Agencies shall raise invoice on every month end to the Parent Company.

Ø The Invoice can be raised through e-mail or Fax and followed by hard copy.

Payment Processing:

Ø Payments to Outsourced Agencies will be done within 90 days from the verification report Issued by the designated authority.

Such verification Report shall be issued within 7 days from the date of invoice.

Training:

Ø Parent Company will not give the training to District Wise Vendors.

Ø Training will not be given to Vendor payroll surveyors.
Ø Vendor needs to employ the experienced surveyors to the field. 

Ø We need One Point Contact from the Selected District Vendor, they have to operate with Parent Company State Coordinator.

Ø One of the Government official will visit the Site for Authorization & Verification.

To Signup Work order:

Ø Signing up with PAN INDIA Company.

Ø Business Procurement Fees (Consultancy Charges) shall be discussed.

Document Required For Center (Outsourced Agencies):

Ø One Cancelled Cheque

Ø PAN Card

Ø Company/Firm Profile

Ø Company / Firm Service Tax

Ø Owner Address Proof

Ø Owner Id Proof

Ø Owner Photo

Ø Bank account Statement of 6 Months

Ø Bank Account Details(Company Account)

Note:  The Projections Shown here are assumptive and fictitious. It is about to change or edit or it may be more or less & it is not final. Author of the Document is nowhere responsible.