A Study on Farmers’ Attitude towards Soil Health Card in Rangareddy District, Telangana State, India
Akula Latha Rani *
Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore – 560 065, Karnataka, India.
S. Ganesamoorthi
Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru-560 065, India.
N. S. Shivalinge Gowda
Department of Agricultural Extension, Former Director of Extension, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Hebbal, Bengaluru-560 024, India.
A. Sathish
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru-560 065, India.
T. L. Mohan Kumar
Department of Agricultural Statistics, Applied Mathematics and Computer Sciences, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru-560 065, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The Soil Health Card flagship programme has been implemented to address the national soil issues due to indiscriminate usage of synthetic fertilizers. An ex-post-facto-research design was employed in the study. The present study was conducted in Shabad and Kothur blocks of Rangareddy District of Telangana State during the year 2019-2020. Data were collected using standardized, pre-tested interviews and scored, tabulated and statistically analyse. Our investigation in Rangareddy District disclosed that the majority of respondents possessed a favourable attitude towards soil health cards and realized the importance of soil health and soil conservation management practices. The present work serves as a complementary contribution to the comprehensive study of the Farmers’ Attitude on Soil Health Card to maintain healthy soils to ensure the nation’s food and nutrition security. It was reported that the more than half of the interviewed farmers (52.50 %) were having more favourable attitude towards Soil Health Card, whereas 30.00 % and 17.50 % of them had favourable attitude and less favourable attitude towards Soil Health Card, respectively. The scale contained 16 statements each measured on a three-point continuum namely less favourable, favourable and more favourable. The possible score for farmers’ attitude towards soil health card ranged from the minimum of 16 to the maximum of 48. All the profile characteristics of farmers had significant influences on their attitudes.
Indian Agriculture has been transformed from green revolution to evergreen revolution on a sustainable basis. By understanding farmers’ attitude towards Soil Health Card and the associated personal profile characteristics, the scheme could be further implemented with installing proper soil testing laboratories in consideration of farmers’ need and interest to double their income through distribution of soil health cards, reduced pest and disease incidences and improved soil health management practices.
Keywords: Soil health, attitude, soil health card, profile characteristics, farmers, association