M.Sc.

Injudicious and hazardous use of chemical fertilizer in agriculture is a matter
of concern in recent times. In order to avoid deterioration of soil in the long run and
visualizing the importance of balanced nutrition in crop production, Government of
India launched the soil health (SHC) programme in 2015. The Soil Health Card
provides appropriate guidance to the farmers for the efficient use of fertilizer for
crops based on soil health analysis. The SHC is a printed document, which contains
data on soil test based chemical analysis to describe soil health in terms of its nutrient
availability and its physical and chemical properties.
The study was carried out in Thrissur district as it had the maximum number
of SHC scheme beneficiaries in the State. A total of 180 respondents from the district
formed the sample which constituted 150 farmers and 30 scheme implementing
officers. Status of SHC use among farmers revealed the presence of four categories of
SHC users viz. participant SHC scheme users, participant SHC scheme non-users,
paid SHC users and non-participant non-users. Analysis of the socio-economic
variables between the different categories of users and non-users of farmers revealed
that the variables, farming experience, exposure to training and irrigation facility
showed significant difference among the respondents at 0.05 and 0.01 levels with p
values 0.040, 0.016 and 0.001 respectively.
With regard to awareness on SHC, Paid SHC users had an overall awareness
score of 461.52. On all selected awareness domains they had uniformly high scores
except on general information on SHC scheme wherein the score was only 78.00 per
cent. Regarding the spread of SHC in Thrisssur district, Chavakkad was the only
block that covered more than 50 per cent of farmers. Extent of adoption measured
using adoption index, and the results indicated that 50 per cent of the participant SHC
scheme users were of medium adoption category, followed by 34 per cent of low
adopters and only 16 per cent belonged to the high adoption category. However, in
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the case of paid soil test users, it could be inferred that majority of the farmers (60
per cent), came under high adoption category, followed by 33 per cent under medium
level of adoption and only 7 per cent belonged to low adoption category. Correlation
between the independent variables and adoption of SHC recommendations by
participant SHC scheme users and paid SHC users revealed that, irrigation facility
and farming experience showed positively significant correlation with adoption at
0.05 level for both the categories. It is also important to find that when scientific
orientation recorded positive and significant relation with adoption at 0.01 level for
both participant SHC scheme users and paid SHC users, training and education
showed significant relation only for the paid SHC users at 0.01 and 0.05 levels of
significance respectively. When 90 per cent of the paid SHC users showed favourable
perception regarding the reliability of SHCs, only 40 per cent of the participant SHC
scheme users displayed a favourable utility perception on the domain. With regard to
the quantity of fertilizers (Urea, SSP, MOP) applied, and micronutrient use, there is
significant difference between users and non-users with p values 0.44 and 0.017
respectively. Results of binary logistic regression of SHC users and non-users with
socioeconomic variables and yield taken as independent variables revealed that a
change in the level of education, farming experience, irrigation or yield could bring a
corresponding chance of 64, 30, 31 and 67 per cent respectively for a non-user to
become a user of SHC results. Majority of farmers (68 per cent) stated that the time
gap between soil collection and distribution of cards was too long. The major
constraint stated by officers was unavailability of field staffs for taking samples
(68.23 per cent). Though the services were free under the scheme, farmers face a lot
of impediments in getting full benefits of the scheme. It is suggested that the policy
makers should conduct suitable awareness programs and trainings to promote the
usage of soil health cards. Follow-up by extension agency, timely reporting of soil
test results to farmers is crucial in whole programme. Effective utilization of the
scheme also needs the presence of field level experts to clear doubts of farmers at the
time of their need in a scientific way.