SOIL TESTING IN KERALA

Efficient management of soil is of paramount importance in breaking the yield barrier. Continuous cropping over long periods result in depletion of plant nutrients. Evaluation of the inherent fertility status of the soil is a pre-requisite for a balanced fertilization programme by taking into account the crop needs, soil supply of nutrients, fertilizer use efficiency and contribution from manures etc.
Soil testing programme was started in India during 1955-56 with the setting up of 16 soil testing laboratories in different States, under the Indo United States agreement. The first soil testing laboratory (STL) of Kerala was started in the then College of Agriculture, Vellayani, in 1957, under the Joint US technical aid programme. For the first three years, the laboratory functioned under the direct control of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. Two more laboratories were started in 1966 in Alappuzha and Palakkad districts with the assistance from the US aid programme. A Central Soil Testing Laboratory was started at Trivandrum in 1978, to coordinate the activities of the soil testing laboratories and to ensure quality control of the soil testing service. Over five decades of its existence, the soil testing services has been extended to all the fourteen districts of the state.
The soil testing laboratories under the department of agriculture have been carrying out test for major nutrients, pH and EC till 2010. Subsequently, the STLs have started testing of soil samples for secondary (Ca, Mg, S) and micro nutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn,B), based on the findings from the project on ‘Soil Based Plant Nutrient Management Plan for Agro-ecosystems of Kerala’. The STLs have henceforth been strengthened by providing testing facilities for the above nutrients and necessary training for the technical staff.
The Department of Agriculture has at present 14 stationary and 9 mobile laboratories providing soil testing advisories in all the districts.

MOBILE SOIL TESTING LABORATORIES

• Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory, Parottukonam, Nalanchira. P.O,Thiruvananthapuram
• Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory, Kottamukku, Kollam - 13
• Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory, Sandanapuram, Alappuzha - 3
• Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory, Ettumanoor, Kottayam
• Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory, Chempukavu,Thrisusur-20
• Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory, Pattambi,Palakkad - 679 306
• Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory, Malappuram-5
• Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory, Tikkotti, Kozhikode
• Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory, Ondane Road, Camp Bazar, Kannur-1