Let’s Treat Soil as ‘Living’

December 2025 : World Soil Day, celebrated every year on December 5, is not just a formal observance but a reminder to seriously consider the health of the soil, the foundation of agriculture. Soil is central to food security, environmental balance, and rural economy, and preserving its health ensures future food security. However, uncontrolled use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, deep plowing, improper irrigation, and monocropping reduce organic matter in the soil, destroy microorganisms, and decrease fertility. Against this backdrop, World Soil Day aims to treat soil as “living” and promote its care while creating awareness among farmers.

In Kolhapur district, this year the initiative “Let’s Understand Soil, Enrich Agriculture” is being implemented on a large scale. This aligns with the “Poona Pariyan Nayi Udaan” initiative launched on July 1, 2025, under the Chief Minister’s Administrative Momentum Campaign, which aims to achieve 125 tons of sustainable sugarcane production per hectare. While sugarcane is a backbone crop in the district, intensive cultivation has caused soil fatigue, water stress, excessive fertilizer use, and pest issues, raising questions about sustainability. Hence, placing “sustainability” at the forefront and prioritizing soil health is the true strength of this campaign.

For World Soil Day, the program will be conducted in at least 300 villages across Kolhapur district. Farmers will receive hands-on guidance, soil testing, and counseling in their fields. Village-level gatherings, demonstrations, and discussion sessions will provide farmers the opportunity to understand their soil’s health and reinforce the idea that “land is our capital.”

A central element of this initiative is the Soil Health Card Scheme, implemented since 2015-16 with the support of the central and state governments. Soil samples are collected scientifically and analyzed in laboratories, after which farmers are provided with a personal soil health card. It contains data on soil pH, alkalinity, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrient deficiencies, along with scientifically guided fertilizer recommendations. In 2025-26, Kolhapur plans to distribute 26,000 soil health cards. Importantly, farmers are taught to interpret the data and apply it to field-level decisions.

Demonstrations include correct soil sampling techniques, such as depth, zigzag patterns, mixing samples, and using clean tools. After lab analysis, the soil health card explains each parameter, color codes, and recommendations in simple language for practical use.

Farmers are also guided on integrated nutrient management, combining recommended chemical fertilizers with organic inputs like manure, compost, legumes, and crop residues, improving soil structure, organic content, and microbial activity. Benefits include increased water retention, reduced soil erosion, and enhanced disease resistance.

Another key aspect is awareness among schoolchildren, who learn that soil is a living system with layers, microorganisms, and nutrient cycles, fostering early environmental sensitivity. Technology tools like Mahakrushi Vistar AI App will provide crop-wise fertilizer guidance, pest diagnosis, and government scheme information, delivering timely scientific information directly to farmers’ smartphones.

Active participation of progressive farmers, self-help groups, registered farmer collectives, and agricultural extension officers is crucial. This creates a knowledge-sharing network at the local level, ensuring soil testing becomes an integral part of overall farm management rather than a one-time activity.

All farmers, youth, women, and officials are encouraged to participate, as government schemes alone cannot succeed without active community engagement. Preserving soil health guarantees future food security, strengthens the rural economy, and maintains environmental balance. If implemented effectively, the Kolhapur World Soil Day initiative will truly deliver the message: “Let’s Understand Soil, Enrich Agriculture” to every farm and farmer.