Soil Health Card: How to Get, Check and Read Your Card
Updated: 28 September 2026 · Last Verified: 28 September 2026 · By: Akshay Kumar, Editor
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Quick Answer
The Soil Health Card (SHC) is a free government card that tells you what your soil actually contains — its nutrient status on 12 parameters — and recommends how much fertiliser to use so you do not over- or under-feed your crop. It is issued through your state’s agriculture department after they collect a soil sample from your field and have it tested. You do not fill in a long application: you ask your local agriculture office to get your soil tested, and you can then track your sample and print your card at a Common Service Centre or on the official Soil Health Card portal, soilhealth.dac.gov.in.
Key Highlights
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Scheme Name | Soil Health Card (now part of the Soil Health & Fertility component of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana) |
| Launched | 19 February 2015, at Suratgarh, Rajasthan |
| Ministry | Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India |
| Implemented By | State governments, through their agriculture departments |
| What The Card Shows | Soil status on 12 parameters, with fertiliser recommendations |
| Cost To Farmer | Cards are provided at no cost to farmers |
| Who Can Get It | Farmers across the country |
| Status | Active |
| Official Portal | soilhealth.dac.gov.in |
Last Verified: 24 September 2026
What Is the Soil Health Card?
Farmers often decide how much fertiliser to use by habit or by what the shop recommends, without knowing what their soil already has. The Soil Health Card replaces guesswork with a test result. A sample from your field is tested, and the card tells you the soil’s nutrient status and the dose of nutrients recommended for improving soil health and fertility. The scheme was launched to help state governments issue cards to farmers across the country, and the card format is uniform, available in all major languages.
What Does the Card Measure?
The card reports the soil’s status on 12 parameters:
| Group | Parameters | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Macro-nutrients | Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sulphur (S) | The main nutrients crops draw from soil in large amounts |
| Micro-nutrients | Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Boron (B) | Nutrients needed in small quantities but essential for healthy growth |
| Other soil properties | pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Organic Carbon (OC) | pH shows whether the soil is acidic or alkaline, EC indicates salt content, and organic carbon indicates the soil’s organic matter |
The card then gives a recommended dose of nutrients for the crop, which is the part you use when you buy fertiliser.
Benefits
- Know your soil: see which nutrients are low and which are already sufficient.
- Use the right fertiliser dose: follow a recommendation based on a test rather than a guess.
- Free for farmers: state governments provide the cards at no cost to farmers.
- Track and print online: you can track your sample and print your card at a Common Service Centre or on the Farmers Corner of the official portal.
Eligibility
Who Can Get a Soil Health Card?
Farmers across the country. The scheme aims to issue cards to all farmers, and we found no income or land-size condition in the official description.
Things To Keep In Mind
- The card is issued for your field after a soil sample is collected and tested; it is not issued on request without testing.
- Samples are generally collected after the harvest of the Rabi or Kharif crop, or when there is no standing crop in the field.
Documents Required
There is no long document list published for farmers. Sample collection typically records details such as your name, contact information and the field or survey details, so keep your land details and mobile number handy. Your state agriculture office will confirm exactly what it needs.
How to Get Your Soil Health Card
- Contact your local agriculture office or Krishi Vigyan Kendra and ask about soil testing and Soil Health Card issue in your area.
- A soil sample is collected from your field, usually after harvest or when there is no standing crop.
- The sample is tested in a soil testing laboratory, and the results are recorded on the Soil Health Card portal.
- The portal generates your Soil Health Card along with fertiliser recommendations.
- Track your sample and print your card at a Common Service Centre, or on the Farmers Corner of soilhealth.dac.gov.in.
How Often Will I Get a New Card?
Government sources describe a recurring cycle of a couple of years. The Press Information Bureau’s 2025 material on the scheme states the goal of giving every farmer a card once every two years, while older government pages describe a three-year card cycle. The exact interval and how sampling is done (for example, by grid or at individual holdings) can vary by state and by phase of the scheme, so ask your state agriculture department when your next sampling is due.
Application Mode
Offline through your state agriculture department, with tracking and printing of the card online or at a Common Service Centre.
Important Dates
There is no application deadline. Sampling depends on your state’s schedule and is generally done when the field has no standing crop.
Official Source
- Soil Health Card portal: soilhealth.dac.gov.in
- Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare: agriwelfare.gov.in
- Common Service Centre locator: locator.csccloud.in
Important Notes
- The Soil Health Card is free. Do not pay anyone for “getting” or “fast-tracking” your card or for a “soil testing” that is not through your state’s agriculture department or an authorised lab.
- The card gives recommendations; for crop-specific advice on how to apply them, ask your local agriculture office or Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
- Soil changes over time with crops and fertiliser use, so an old card may no longer reflect your field. Get re-tested when your state’s cycle comes around.
- JanAvsara is not a government website and does not issue Soil Health Cards or collect money or documents.
Related Schemes
- Best Government Schemes for Farmers — which scheme fits your situation
- Schemes for Small and Marginal Farmers — benefits designed around small holdings
- PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi — direct income support for farmer families
- e-NAM — sell your produce through online mandi auctions
- Farmer Schemes — browse all farmer-related articles on JanAvsara
FAQs
What is a Soil Health Card?
A card that reports your soil’s nutrient status on 12 parameters and recommends the appropriate dose of nutrients to improve soil health and fertility.
Is the Soil Health Card free?
Yes. State governments provide the cards to farmers at no cost through their agriculture departments.
How do I get my Soil Health Card?
Contact your local agriculture office or Krishi Vigyan Kendra so a soil sample is collected from your field and tested. Once the results are recorded on the portal, your card is generated and you can track your sample and print the card at a Common Service Centre or on the Farmers Corner of soilhealth.dac.gov.in.
What does the card measure?
Twelve parameters: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur; zinc, iron, copper, manganese and boron; and pH, electrical conductivity and organic carbon.
When is the soil sample taken?
Generally after the harvest of the Rabi or Kharif crop, or when there is no standing crop in the field.
How often is a new card issued?
Government sources mention a cycle of two to three years, depending on the source and the phase of the scheme. The Press Information Bureau’s 2025 material states the goal of a card for every farmer once every two years. Ask your state agriculture department for your area’s schedule.