Accordingly, in Dakshina Kannada district, the scheme will cover 5,100 hectare paddy field in the kharif season.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Agriculture department Joint Director Padmaiah Naik said the programme aims at increasing the production of paddy by 20 per cent.
Farmers give only the required nutrients for the soil. However, micro nutrients are neglected and as a result, the yield is less. The scheme also encourages the use of organic manure. “More importantly, it also aims at creating awareness among farmers about the need for micronutrients. Once they realise the importance of micronutrients, they will not be content with just mainstream fertilisers. They will insist on micronutrients,” he said and added that this will boost farm production and contribute to rural prosperity.
The programme is implemented by the Agriculture Department in association with agriculture universities and the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad. In this, farmers are encouraged to take up soil quality tests and supply necessary micronutrients to it.
The scheme will cover 5,100 hectare paddy fields in the district. This includes Mangalore taluk—2,000 hectares, Bantwal—1,200 hectares, Belthangady—1,200 hectares, Puttur—500 hectares and Sullia—200 hectares. “As the paddy fields are scattered, we will come to know the exact number of villages which will be benefited under the scheme at the later stage,” he said.
He said “soil analysis will be carried out in the target land. However, we will not carry out the test on each and every field. In a village, about 20 soil samples have been collected for testing.”
“The collected soil samples have already been tested in the soil and water testing lab of the agriculture department. The officials from ICRISAT have taken away the samples to be tested in their lab in Hyderabad. The report is likely to be received within 15 days. Once we receive the report, we will match the results which we obtained from testing in our lab and by ICRISAT. Depending on the result, we will recommend the farmers to provide required micronutrients to the land to increase the production.”
Nutrients such as gypsum and zinc sulphate were being supplied to farmers at 50 per cent subsidy under the scheme, he informed.