India provides soil research service to Afghanistan and Nepal

Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), in collaboration with agricultural universities in Afghanistan and Nepal, is providing soil research and training to improve agriculture produce in those countries.

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), the country's premier national institute for agricultural research, education and extension is providing advanced training and research to Afghanistan and Nepal.

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARA) had recently launched a soil testing device which is a digital meter that checks the fertility of the soil for better fertilizer recommendations.

The soil testing device is programmed to provide fertilizer recommendation for the crops. This equipment is cost effective and user friendly.

India will be offering the soil testing device to Nepal and Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, 75 percent of the population is dependent on agriculture for earning their livelihood. Agriculture accounts for 25 percent in Gross domestic product of the country.

IARI is giving special emphasis to Afghanistan and is helping the war-torn country by setting up an Agricultural Institute in Kandahar Province.

The motive is to help Afghanistan for better productivity of crops.

"Afghanistan has arid climate; they have more plantations, food crops and dry fruits. Afghanistan is agro-based country, but due to past disturbances agriculture has been badly affected. There is lot of scope for agricultural growth in Afghanistan and when we talk about agriculture soil science and providing soil testing service and we talk about providing soil testing service for Afghanistan", said Dr. B.S. Bedi Head, Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry.

IARI also enrolls students from Afghanistan in various disciplines. It includes pathology, seed science and technology, agronomy, horticulture and bio technology.

"India is second country after U.S who had done substantial work in reconstructing Afghanistan. Afghanistan is agricultural based country. I can say that India is more interested in agricultural projects,. Among the projects, useful for Afghanistan and can secure its future is agriculture", said Naseer Haqbeen 2nd year student in Food Science and Technology

The institute also helps Nepal in soil testing. However, the focus has been to set up an infrastructure inside Nepal to make the research more effective.

"Improving their infrastructure is one way to assist Afghanistan. We have expertise we have developed and established good soil testing service and infrastructure required. We can guide them that way", said Dr. B.S. Bedi Head, Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry.

India has gifted a soil testing mobile van to Nepali farmers as they will not be able to get their soil tested for nutrient deficiencies and fertilizer requirements at their doorsteps.

It will help them to increase farm yields.