Perception, feasibility, and adoption of soil health card based recommendations for sustainable nutrient management in Northern Telangana

Abstract

The Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme was initiated by the Government of India to promote balanced fertilizer usage and sustainable soil fertility management. The present study was conducted in ten purposively selected districts of Northern Telangana zone with a sample size of 360 farmers to assess their perception, feasibility, usage, and constraints regarding SHC-based recommendations. Results indicated that 39% of the respondents perceived SHC recommendations as favorable, while 35% rated them as most favorable. Regarding feasibility, 42% of farmers perceived SHC as moderately feasible. However, adoption remained low, with 57% reporting low usage of recommendations. Garrett ranking analysis revealed that the major constraints were lack of pre-seasonal training (Rank I), difficulty in understanding SHC information and calculating fertilizer doses (Rank II), and fear of reduced yields or lack of faith in results (Rank III). The study highlights the need for pre-seasonal training, timely distribution of SHCs, and provision of input subsidies to enhance adoption.