Taking a cue from Karnataka’s experiment, the Telangana Government has decided to test fertility of its soil in one crore acres. Like its peer, the Government is taking the help of International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to take up the project.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao held a meeting with ICRISAT Director-General William Dar and other officials of the Patancheru-based agricultural research institute to prepare a detailed map of soil fertility in the State.
After testing the health of the soil, the farmers will be given Soil Health Cards. “There are several types of soil in Telangana. But the farmers are growing almost same crops, resulting in poor yields. We will take the help of Icrisat in taking up the project,” he said.
“This will go a long way in advising farmers to go for the right crop, suitable for their lands. Karnataka has done this effectively. We will also go for the exercise,” the Chief Minister said after the meeting.
“If you know what is deficient in soil of a particular place, you can give relevant supplements to help farmers improve yields,” he said.
Source: The Hindu