• Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme is a Government of India’s scheme promoted by the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation under the Ministry of Agriculture.
• Soil sample will be tested at..
  • At the STLs owned by the Department of Agriculture and by their own staff.
  • At the STLs owned by the Department of Agriculture but by the staff of the outsourced agency.
  • At the STLs owned by the outsourced agency and by their staff.
  • At ICAR Institutions including KVKs and SAUs.
  • At the laboratories of the Science Colleges/Universities by the students under supervision of a Professor/ Scientist.
    
• The contact details for the above entities can be sought through link provided below.

Apply In-Person

1. Farmer is advised to meet the lab officials to take the guidance for collecting soil samples. Digging and collection process for sail differs for crop cultivation and tree cultivation.
2. Collect the soil as per your requirement as advised.
3. Fill the dry sample (without stone and grass) in cloth bag and mention details (Farmer name and address, Land detail (Khata number), Aadhar number, Mobile number) on it.
4. Please go to the respective office.
5. Link for contact details : link Please use the “Locate soil testing laboratory” option on the right side of the screen “Farmer's Corner” section.

   • A new screen will be displayed please select the state and district from the drop down list against the respective prompts and click “View Report” button. Please select the lab as per your choice.

6. Link for contact details: link Please use the respective contact details to consult with authorities for any clarification.
7. Fill out the soil sample information sheet for each sample and enclose with the soil sample.
8. Submit the soil samples and pay the required fees.
9. Lab authorities will make note of the submitted samples and mark the details for recording purpose. Farmer will get lab receipt for the submission of samples.
10. This sample will be processed further. Once the reports are ready, soil health card will be generated or made ready.
11. Farmer shall get the card as per applicable norms.

Note:

• Farmers are advised to consult the lab authorities before starting the sampling process on how much depth they should dig with respect to the crop or tree going to be cultivated/grown.

Apply Online:

1. To apply for Soil Health Card( Test Soil Quality) online, the applicant must click on the following link:Link.
2. On the given screen, enter the required details such as farmer's name, state, district, gram panchayat, sample number and click on the "Search" button.
3. A new page will open up with all the details on an e-certificate which can be downloaded.
4. The applicant may also collect the original certificate from the concerned office by showing the e-copy of the same.

Apply through Centres:

1. To apply for a soil health card in Daman & Diu, the applicant shall visit the nearest CSC/Tehsil Centre. Find contacts to CSC centres in the link provided:Link
2. Procure the mandatory application form from the concerned centre and fill it up with the necessary details required for the card.
3. Make sure to attach all the "Required Documents" along with the application form before submission.
4. Provide authorized signatory and photograph, wherever applicable.
5. Make the requisite payment required for the process (if applicable).
6. Now, submit the application to the office of the concerned centre and obtain the acknowledgement slip.
7. After successful verification, the soil health card will be issued by the concerned authority.
8. Obtain the card from the concerned CSC centre by showing the acknowledgement slip.

1. Residence Proof
2. Aadhar Card
3. Additional documents (If Any)

Agriculture department,
Zonal Agriculture Office,
Moti-Daman PIN-396220
Ph : 0260-2230856.

Link for Contact: link

• After harvesting or when the crop is standing.
• When moisture in soil is least.

• Rs.20 per sample is charged.
• As quoted by authorities as per norms.

• Once in every two or three year before the onset of crop season as per state norms.

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.    

• In 3 days the soil health card will be ready

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type="website">video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the "&" inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M" Video ID is "Y0US7oR_t3M". 
	

• Sample each field separately. However, where the areas within a field differ distinctly in crop growth, appearance of the soils, or in elevation, or are known to have been cropped or fertilized and manure differently, divided the field and sample each area separately.
• Take a composite sample from each area. Scrape away surface litter, then take a small sample from the surface to plough depth from a number of spots in the field (10 to 15 per acre). Collect these samples in a clean bucket or some such wide container.
• Where crops have been planted in lines (rows), sample between the lines.
• Do not sample unusual area. Avoid areas recently fertilized, old bunds, marshy spots, near tress, compost piles, other non-representative locations.
• Take a uniform thick sample from the surface to plough depth. If a spade or a trowel is used, dig a v-shaped hole, then cut out a uniform thick slice of soil from bottom to top of the exposed soil face, collect the sample on the baled or in your hand and place it in the bucket.
• Pour the soil from the bucket on a piece of clean cloth or paper and mix thoroughly, discard, by quartering, all but 1 to 2 lbs. of soil. Quarterly may be done by mixing sample well, dividing it into four equal parts, then rejecting two opposite quarters, mixing the remaining two portions, again dividing into four parts and rejecting two opposite quarters, and so on. The sample should be dried in the shade for an hour or two before it goes into the cloth bag container.
• Each cloth bag should be large enough to hold a pound or two of soil, and should be properly marked to identify the sample.
• Keep a record of the areas sampled and a simple sketch map for reference when you get the soil test and fertilizers recommendation report from the soil testing laboratory.

• Fill the dry sample in cloth bag and mention following details
  

1. Full Name and Address of the farmer
2. Land details (Khasara number)
3. Mobile number
4. Crop to be sown

• Soil health card is soil testing report given to the farmers for every land holding. Soil health card is made available to the farmers after testing of soil on 12 parameter(pH, EC, Fossil Carboh,Nitrogen,Phosphate,Potash,Sulphur,Zinc,Iron,Copper,Magnese and Boron)
• In soil health card, the farmers will be suggested to use chemical fertilizers, organic manure and bio-fertilizers on the basis of status of nutritive elements found in testing of soil. The farmer will also be informed about the fertilizers and its quantity.
• Estimation of requirement of nutrient in crop to be sown.

• Taking sample correctly is very important which is tested for determination of fertilizers. This is a representative sample of a large part of field. Half kg Soil is taken for sample (collected from different part of field).
• Sample is taken before sowing rabi, kharif, zaid when the field is vacant.

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

Place some external links which might help.

More information which might help people.