The document provides information on the Soil Health Card system implemented by the Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal. It discusses the methodology used, which is a soil test-based fertilizer recommendation system. The system aims to provide soil health cards to farmers to help assess soil fertility and recommend appropriate fertilizers. It utilizes an online portal and mobile phones to register soil samples, provide test results to farmers, and generate soil health cards. The system is intended to improve soil testing services and increase efficiency in providing recommendations to farmers.

1. SOIL HEALTH CARD
Developed for
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
GOVT. OF WEST BENGAL
METHODOLOGY:
SOIL TEST BASED FERTILISER
RECOMMENDATION SYSTEM
(STFRS)

2. ई-गवर्नेंस' ज़रूरी
क्योंकि मशीर्नें ररश्वत र्नहीों म ाँगती

3. People
Process and,
Technology

4. Objectives of Soil Testing
Assessment of current soil fertility status according to physical, chemical and
ecological properties of soil
Help make arrangement for soil amendment and recommendation of manure for
both macro and micro nutrients according to soil fertility level suitable for crops to be
grown
Help in recommending only essential and adequate amount of nutrients
Prevention of overuse of fertilisers which in turn results in reduction the cost of
cultivation and prevention of degradation of soil quality due to overuse of fertilisers
Prevention of possible nutrient toxicity
Maintenance of proper soil health and plant nutrients reserves for healthy growth of
next crop in sequence

5. To usher in efficiency & effectiveness in the functioning
of SOIL TESTING LABORATORIES by leveraging
Information Technology to enable them to provide soil
health cards to farmers and other stakeholders on time
and shall help preparation of SOIL MAPs for effective
management of resources
Goal

6. Soil Testing Portal (in line with WBAGRISNET)
Continued….

8. Soil Test Based Fertiliser Recommendation System consist of the following
Major Modules:
Online/SMS Request for soil testing and collection of samples
Detailed Sample Registration – Source of Sample, Land Specific
Information & Information on Crop(s)
Test Result Entry & Computation
Recommendations from Experts
Generation of Soil Health Card in Local Language and English
Internet based (ONLINE) generation of Soil Health Card from any location
Acknowledgement of receipt of soil sample at laboratory and intimation on
generation of SHC through SMS
MIS Reports for administrators, laboratories and VLE
Inputs for Soil Fertility Maps
SMS Alerts to farmers about readiness of Soil Health Card

9. Sample Registration – Source Details

10.  Better service to the rural community (Farmers)
 Considerable reduction in time to obtain a Soil Health Card from a
laboratory by the farmers has motivated them to opt for more tests of
their soil
 MIS on registered and tested samples for a duration has been made
available
 SMS based abridged Soil Fertility and Fertiliser Advisory per crop
Impact

11. Developing and maintaining necessary infrastructure for testing soil health and
dissemination of the information to the farmers at the village level.
Pictorial Representation of SHC being made available to a farmer through a
Government Laboratory:
Work Flow:
SHC
SOIL SAMPLE
LABORATORY
(Government)
Sample Analysis & Data Entry
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
PRINT
+
SMS
Intimation
through
SMS
+
WEB
access
+
PRINT

12. Pictorial Representation of SHC being made available to a farmer through a Non
Government Laboratory:
Work Flow:
SHC
SOIL SAMPLE
LABORATORY
(Non Government)
Sample Analysis & Data Entry
Pay per
Sample
Proposed in 2010:
Pay Rs.40 per Sample
to Private Laboratory
GOVERNMENT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
PRINT
+
SMS
Intimation
through
SMS
+
WEB
access
+
PRINT

13. Pictorial Representation of SHC being made available to a farmer through a CSC
(Common Service Centre):
Work Flow:
GOVERNMENT
LABORATORY
(Government or Private)
Sample Analysis & Data Entry
Proposed in 2010:
Pay Rs.10 per Sample
VLE @ CSC
(Village Level Entrepreneur at
Common Service Centre)
Courier
eACKNOWLEDGEMENT
SOIL SAMPLE
SHC
Proposed in 2010:
Pay Rs.40 per Sample
to Private Laboratory
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
PRINT + SMS
Intimation
through
SMS
+
WEB
access
+
PRINT

15. Work Ahead: Calculations
 Total pages: 96
 Existing Reports: 12
 Security Audit
 Man-days per page: 4
 Man-days per report page: 3
 6 man-months
Assumption: No change in db design
& any change may be a parallel process
Duration:
[{(96 x 3) + (12 x 4)}/22 + 6]/3 = 7 calendar months
Add:
 Learning phase: 1 calendar month
 Pilot implementation: 1 calendar month
 Rollout: 2 calendar months
Total: 11 calendar months

16. Services to Farmers:
List of Govt. and Private Laboratories and List of Village Level
Entrepreneur (VLE) – WEB + SMS
Soil Health Card Generation, both in English and Vernacular
languages
Soil Nutrient Availability Report – WEB + SMS
Query on status of submitted Soil Sample by farmers – WEB + SMS

17. Services Available @ Laboratory:
Soil Sample Registration and updation (till test results are entered)
Acknowledgement Generation (else, test results cannot be entered)
Sample Rejection
Test Result Entry and updation (till SHC is generated)
Generation of Soil Health Card
Annual Progress Report

18. Soil Sample Registration
Acknowledgement Generation
Test Result Entry
Revenue Transaction
Monthly Report
Services to be made available to Village Level Entrepreneur (VLE)
@ the CSCs:

19. Services available to Administrator:
Total No. of SHC generated during a given period
Laboratory wise total of SHC generated during a given period
Monthly Performance Report for VLE
Master Entry, Query & Report on recommended dose of FERTILISER
depending on AGRO-CLIMATIC ZONE, CROP, SEASON, DURATION,
SEEDING TYPE & WATER DEPTH
Updation of SHC if requested by Laboratories
Master entry pages

20. Activities for any project can be divided into three major categories
viz. –
• pre-project activities
• on-project activities
• post-project activities
This methodology as a defining strategy may be incorporated
within AGRISNET for effecting the delivery mechanism for the
project
Activities

21. A Rule
Nobody can do it alone
There are always people who can do the job better than you
Find them, work with them
COLLABORATE AND DELEGATE
EXCUSES!

22. Core Group formation
Assessment
Budgeting
Risk Management
Delivery Mechanism
Requirement
HW/SW/Manpower
Quality
Capacity/Capability
Building
Responsibilities
Core Group
System/Software
Budgeting
Delivery Mechanism
Network
Requirement
HW/SW/Manpower
Farmer Centric
Applications
Capacity/Capability
Building
Core Group
System/Software
Budgeting
Delivery Mechanism
Network
Requirement
HW/SW/Manpower
Farmer Centric
Applications
Capacity/Capability
Building
Pre-project Activities
On-project Activities
Post-project Activities

23. Rollout Strategy:
The database will be centralized (i.e. a single database)
for operations by the States
For each State, separate state login page may be prepared
with defined roles/logins for users for data entry/
updation/MIS and Citizen Interface to the applications
The present/existing software also enables this feature
(mentioned in (b) above) that is perfectly role based with
each State having its own administrative rights for the
software

24. Rollout Strategy:
Satisfy the requirement analysis with respect to
Creation of General Master Directory (like District, Sub-
division, Block, GP, Mouza (Village), Post Office, etc.)
Specific Master Directory ( like Recommendation of Fertiliser
with respect to the prevailing Agro-Climatic Zone and soil
types that determine the outcome of Soil Test Result) is an
essential and primary requirement and the necessary user
interface is available considering the requirements for the
states
The existing module may suffice the needs of the States
willing to adopt this software

25. Rollout Strategy:
The costing towards deployment of manpower for Analysis,
Process Modeling, System Design, Development, Capacity
Building including the cost of ICT Infrastructure for software
development / customization, site preparation – for development,
customization and deployment, handholding operations, cost for
transportation for undertaking study etc has to be considered
Testing & Release of Application by State Teams through proper
change management notes of satisfaction
User Acceptance through proper handing over note of satisfaction
End User Training with proper documentation
Project signoff

26. Action Plan:
Fixation of Strategy for Development and Deployment
Identification of the Scope of Activities for execution
Identification of Resources as per the Scope
Fixation of Time Frame as per the Scope
Estimation of expenditure for deployment of resources
within the time frame
Official responsible for implementation of this service at a
location should not be moved out or transferred
The official be so chosen that he/she is sufficiently away
from superannuation

27. • Plagued with internal
operating problems –
 Ill equipped
laboratories
 Negative attitude
 Demoralised staff
 Weak image
 Underutilised facilities
• Strong will to introduce
ICT in Soil Testing
• Growth of awareness on
Soil Testing and its
usefulness
• To serve or cater to new
segments
• Turf wars
• Disruptions – through
preemptive designs
• Unavailability of ICT with
Internet connectivity
• Unskilled manpower at
work
• Availability of Core
Competency in the area
• Success stories available
• Upbeat farming and
research communities
W
S
O T

28. IDENTIFICATION OF RESOURCES
AND
THEIR DEPLOYMENT PLAN
Major resource constraint will be availability of skilled manpower
for execution of different level of activities viz. selection of
sufficiently skilled hired manpower for providing development
and then, implementation support at State and Centre level
The ICT infrastructure for development of application including
proper site for development and customisation
Cost for travel/transportation of manpower for System Study
Finalise the source for funding with steady flow on receipt of
UC

29. Let’s Work
Thank You