At 14,300 tests/yr, mobile soil test unit will aid ryots greatly: Tiruvarur Collector

TIRUCHY: The Tiruvarur District Collector V Mohananchandran launched mobile soil test units on Saturday and assured that farmers of the Delta district would immensely benefit as the unit has been given a target of analysing 14,300 samples per year.

Flagging off the mobile soil testing vehicles along with MLA ‘Poondi’ K Kalaivanan, the district Collector Mohanachandran said that the mobile soil test vehicle is fully equipped to address the needs of farmers visiting respective villages and undertake the lab assessment of the soil.

“A target of 14,300 tests per year has been fixed, and the farmers would be informed well in advance about the vehicle’s arrival in their locality through the agriculture extension centres. We have planned three camps every week; thus, at least 12 camps in a month would be conducted,” the collector said.

Collector Mohanachandran also informed that a mobile soil test lab would analyse several parameters, including soil organic carbon content and macro- and micronutrients in the particular soil, and distribute soil health cards to farmers.

“Through the health card, the farmers would get recommendations of fertilisers based on the soil of the particular location, and a fee of Rs 30 would be collected from the farmers,” said the Collector.

“The scheme has been introduced to reach each farmer who undertakes cultivation and give them prompt suggestions based on the soil health to achieve a good yield,” Collector Mohanachandran added.