Improvement in soil fertility and farmers’ income through soil health card scheme in Andhra Pradesh

It is observed that yield of foodgrains, consumption of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and % of farmers covered under soil health card to total farmers in Andhra Pradesh is greater than that of India. Soil health cards, consumption of NPK, public expenditure on agriculture, average size of land, irrigation and agricultural loans help to improve the farmer income from agriculture in the states using regression model. There is a strong correlation between % of results entered in total sample entered and % of soil health cards available on portal in total farmers covered from 2015–16 to 2019–20. It indicates that the scheme has been performed very well. Then, there is significant impact on cycle-1 to 2 in terms of availability level of nitrogen and potassium. However, consumption of nitrogen is not significant from 2014–15 to 2016–17, while consumption of phosphorous and potassium is significant at 1% level with using paired-t test. The ratio of consumption of NPK is 120-60-60 (4: 2: 2) for paddy in Andhra Pradesh fixed by National Academy of Agricultural Sciences 2009, but nobody followed that ratio. Yield of foodgrain has been significantly increased at 1% level in post-scheme (2017–18) while consumption of NPK has not changed from pre to post-scheme. It indicates that the impact of soil health card scheme on yield was nominal. At present soil health results are shown in the portal that nitrogen levels available is very low, but farmers are not trying to improve the nitrogen in their fields. Cost of fertilizers in A2 about 10% to 20% for all major crops in Andhra Pradesh, it is a big portion for small and marginal farmers. An average of Cost A2 of 11 crops has increased at 1% level of significant in post soil health card scheme. Similarly, average of yield and usage of fertilizers has been increased after implementation of the scheme. In addition to that farmers will maintain nutrient management of soil, which will ensure to improve the productivity of their crops and help to reach the state government target 4409 kg/ha in 2029 and also helps to double farmer income by 2022.