RKVY Soil Health and Fertility - Soil Health Card
Free soil health card with nutrient report · Gujarat farmers · every 2 years
The Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme provides every Indian farmer with a free report analyzing 12 soil parameters — including nutrients (N, P, K), micronutrients, and pH — along with customized fertilizer recommendations for their specific land. Farmers can approach their District or Block Agriculture Officer to initiate soil testing, and download or receive the card digitally. This scheme is available to all farmers across India at no cost.
About This Scheme
The Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme provides every Indian farmer with a free report analyzing 12 soil parameters — including nutrients (N, P, K), micronutrients, and pH — along with customized fertilizer recommendations for their specific land. Farmers can approach their District or Block Agriculture Officer to initiate soil testing, and download or receive the card digitally. This scheme is available to all farmers across India at no cost.
Full official description
SHC can be downloaded by the farmers from the SHC portal or through SMS link received on mobile. It will contain the status of his soil with respect to 12 parameters, namely N,P,K, S (Macro-nutrients); Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Bo (Micro - nutrients) ; and pH, EC, OC. Based on this, the SHC will also indicate fertilizer recommendations and soil amendment required for the farm.
ComponentRateSoil sampling, testing, and generation of SHCRs 300 per SHC (Rs 40 for soil collection + Rs 150 for testing (analysing soil samples + cost of chemical) + Rs. 110 for awareness
The key objectives of the scheme are as follows:
- To promote soil test based nutrient management across the country
- To issue soil health cards to all farmers across the country
- Strengthen the functioning of soil testing laboratories and associated infrastructure
- Capacity building of district and state level staff for promotion of nutrient management practices
- To diagnose soil fertility related constraints with standardized procedures for sampling uniformly across states; and analyse and design fertilizer recommendations.
Benefits
- Free soil testing — cost of ₹300/sample is borne by the government
- Analysis of 12 soil parameters: N, P, K, S (macro-nutrients); Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Bo (micro-nutrients); pH, EC, and Organic Carbon
- Personalized fertilizer recommendations and soil amendments specific to your plot
- Card downloadable from the SHC portal or delivered via SMS link
- Helps reduce over/under use of fertilizers — saving money on inputs
💡 Why Startups Should Care
Agritech startups in precision agriculture: Soil Health Cards are generated for millions of Gujarat farmers, but the fertiliser recommendations on them are generic and static. A startup that digitises these cards, layers in real-time soil sensors, and provides dynamic input recommendations has a large, data-ready customer base already primed by this government programme.
Who Can Apply (Eligibility)
- Available to all farmers in India — no income, land size, or category restrictions
- Any farmer can request soil testing through their District Agriculture Officer (DAO) or Block Agriculture Officer (BAO)
How to Apply
- Contact your local Agriculture Department office, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), or visit rkvy.nic.in.
- Register your land details (survey number, village) for soil sample collection.
- A field agent collects a soil sample from your field.
- The sample is analysed at a government soil testing laboratory.
- Your Soil Health Card is generated and delivered — it shows NPK levels, pH, and micro-nutrient status with crop-specific fertiliser recommendations.
- Cards are renewed once every two years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fee for getting the soil tested?
No. The entire application process is completely free of cost under this scheme.
Can I get my soil tested for other parameters than mentioned in the scheme?
No.
How are the recommendations arrived at?
Recommendations are based on GFR developed by State Agriculture Universities.
Can any farmer apply for a soil health card?
Yes, any farmer can apply for a soil health card for his/her land, through District Agriculture Office.
How to apply for the scheme?
For generation of SHC, farmer should reach out to the District / State Nodal officer if he/she wants to get soil testing done for free. Agent visits the farmer and collects farmer details, land details and geo-tags the land through mobile app and generates a QR code (which carries information on farmer and land). The soil is taken to a STL where it is tested on 12 parameters. The SHC is generated after soil test on portal. The SHC gives crop recommendations and fertiliser recommendations (which crop should be grown on this soil type and how much and which fertiliser is best suited).
What are the documents required for the scheme?
The documents may vary for each state. It is recommended to consult with the relevant authorities for detailed information.
Ready to apply?
Visit the official government portal to apply for this scheme.
Apply on myScheme.gov.inDocuments Required
- Aadhaar card
- Land records (7/12 extract)
- Mobile number for SMS-based card delivery