Soil Degradation: A Strong Fix for Indian Farmers

To stop soil quality from declining and push farmers toward smarter use of fertilizers, manures and herbicides, the government runs a mix of schemes and programmes. Here’s what’s actually in place.

Contents

Soil Health Cards and balanced fertilizer use Natural farming and pest management Awareness drives on fertilizer use Organic farming support: PKVY and MOVCDNER Boosting soil organic carbon Managing herbicide use through research

Soil Health Cards and balanced fertilizer use

The Soil Health & Fertility Scheme, running since 2014-15, is the main vehicle for promoting balanced fertilizer use. It works by generating Soil Health Cards (SHCs) that show farmers exactly what shape their soil is in nutrient-wise, and from that, crop-specific fertilizer recommendations follow. The point is to get farmers using nutrients more efficiently rather than just adding more.

The payoff shows up in three ways: better crop yields, lower input costs, and farming that holds up over the long run. So far, 26.09 crore Soil Health Cards have gone out to farmers. Alongside that, the programme has run 130,627 farmer trainings, 7.17 lakh field demonstrations, and 7,425 melas and campaigns built around what the soil health cards recommend.

Natural farming and pest management

The Union Cabinet cleared the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) on 25 November 2024. It’s built around chemical-free, nature-based methods that rely on inputs produced right on the farm. So far 23.13 lakh farmers have signed up, covering 11.44 lakh hectares.

On the pest side, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has actually been the government’s core strategy since 1985, well before NMNF came along. It’s an eco-friendly method that blends cultural, mechanical, biological and, where genuinely needed, chemical controls.

The Integrated Pest Management-cum-Locust Division under the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage runs this through 48 Central Integrated Pest Management Centres and Locust-cum-CIPMCs spread across 28 states and 2 union territories. Farmers get trained through Farmer Field Schools, two-day HRD programmes, and awareness drives on using pesticides safely, which together help them mix cultural, mechanical and biological controls on their own farms.

Awareness drives on fertilizer use

During the current Kharif season of 2026, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and ICAR ran a special awareness push, including the Khet Bachao Abhiyan, focused on balanced fertilizer use. Between them they managed 2,94,554 programmes reaching 1,36,73,465 farmers. These sessions didn’t stop at fertilizer, they also covered natural and organic farming, bio-inputs and alternatives to chemical fertilizers.

Organic farming support: PKVY and MOVCDNER

Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), in place since 2015-16, backs organic farming end to end, from production through processing, certification and getting the product to market. It’s brought 18.93 lakh hectares under organic cultivation so far and benefited 33.63 lakh farmers.

For the North East specifically, there’s Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), also running since 2015-16. It has covered 2.36 lakh hectares and reached 2.74 lakh farmers in that region.

Boosting soil organic carbon

The government is also pushing Fermented Organic Manure (FOM) and Liquid Fermented Organic Manure (LFOM) as tools for enhancing soil organic carbon, tying into the broader push for judicious fertilizer use. Annual consumption stood at 3.36 lakh metric tonnes in 2024-25. In just the current Kharif season, from 1 April to 16 July 2026, consumption has already reached 11.86 lakh metric tonnes.

Managing herbicide use through research

ICAR’s Directorate of Weed Research in Jabalpur handles the herbicide side of things, promoting sustainable Integrated Weed Management across various crops and cropping systems through research, demonstrations, training and extension work. It gets scientific advice out to farmers via mobile services, social media, printed material and village-level extension efforts.

The Directorate also tests for herbicide residues in soil and in the food chain, and uses those findings to guide farmers on crop management. Together, these efforts have cut down on indiscriminate herbicide use, which in turn has helped both soil health and crop yields.

Key Takeaway: The Government of India’s strategy to tackle soil degradation combines scientific soil assessment, balanced nutrient management, natural and organic farming, integrated pest and weed management, and large-scale farmer awareness programmes to promote sustainable agriculture.

Flagship initiatives such as the Soil Health & Fertility Scheme, National Mission on Natural Farming, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), and Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), supported by ICAR’s research and extension services, aim to improve soil fertility, enhance soil organic carbon, optimise the use of fertilizers and herbicides, and reduce dependence on chemical inputs.

Together, these measures strengthen long-term agricultural productivity, environmental sustainability, and farmers’ resilience while advancing the country’s objective of sustainable and climate-resilient farming.

M.C.Q.

Question 1: Which Government of India scheme provides farmers with crop-specific fertilizer recommendations based on scientific analysis of soil nutrients?