The Maharashtra government will be distributing Soil Health Cards to 20,000 farmers in 100 select villages as part of the Krishi Saptak initiative launched last year. Based on soil studies, the cards will list the vital components of a particular patch and decide future use of manure and pesticide.

Says technical officer B R Chopde: "We have offered paid soil testing facilities to farmers for many years. The scheme offers it free to selected beneficiaries. Farmers generally use harmful amounts of urea. We will tell them the exact types and quantities of manures to be used, as also crops for lands that have more than 60 per cent clay content."