Farmers in remote parts of Maharashtra will now get instant soil and crop analysis as well as recommendations for better farming practices at their doorstep, thanks to a mobile soil testing unit which is available on call.
Maharashtra is the first and so far the only state to implement the scheme, sanctioned recently by the Centre, under which the district level government farming centre here has been equipped with a mobile soil testing unit.
Earlier, farmers had to take soil samples from their fields and travel to government farming centres, popularly called Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), for soil analysis.
The Kendras have been established by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for quick transfer of technology to the fields. The mobile soil testing unit introduced recently has help farmers on issues like soil infertility, harmful pests and water problems. KVK experts now come to their fields and provide the result and report on the same day.
"The mobile soil testing unit has been a great success. Every day we receive over 15-20 calls from farmers in different parts of Maharashtra," Dhananjay Bhoite, in-charge of the soil analysis lab at a KVK said.
The lab is equipped to test over 50 soil samples in a day for fertility, carbon content, pests and micro-nutrient content. "Experts who reach the spot also teach the farmers how to take soil samples. KVK members then give recommendations about best farming practices, suitable crops and pesticides," Bhoite said.
