Soil health is the foundation of productive and sustainable agriculture. Yet, across India, farmland continues to suffer from degradation, nutrient depletion, and poor management practices. Addressing these challenges through scientifically backed solutions and localized interventions like Krishi Jyoti can significantly improve soil quality and enhance crop productivity in the long run.
What Is Soil Health and Why Does It Matter?
Soil health refers to the soil’s ability to function as a living ecosystem that supports plant growth, animal life, and human needs. Healthy soil balances nutrients, organic matter, moisture, and biological activity. When soil health is neglected, it affects productivity, biodiversity, and food security.
How the Green Revolution Impacted Soil Health
The Green Revolution holds a special place in Indian history. Though internationally recognized as a major step toward the nation’s food security, this transformation also led to the irresponsible exploitation of natural resources such as soil and water. Most of this is due to ignorance, greed, and overuse of some modern technologies that led to the revolution in the first place.
Back in 1970, Walter P. Falcon talked about the “second-generation problems” of the Green Revolution. Indiscriminate use of chemicals and fertilizers has led to a weakened ecology, thereby threatening long-term sustainability. However, the Indian farmer continued the practices in the quest for productivity. The resulting deterioration of soil and the depletion and contamination of water have had a direct impact on farmers’ productivity and profitability, particularly in Northern India.
Quick Fact:
According to the 2023 FAO India Report, nearly 60% of Indian agricultural soils are suffering from degradation, partly due to post-Green Revolution practices.
What Are the Main Causes of Soil Degradation in India?
Year after year, we hear about the rich harvest the season has produced. However, despite the ever-growing output, malnutrition and farmer income still remain contentious issues. The lack of understanding about imbalances in soil nutrients is the major reason for this.
Some of the issues being faced in soil health:
- Depleting soil organic matter: Imbalanced use of fertilizers has had a declining effect on soil organic matter, which is an important factor in maintaining soil health. Farmers tend to depend on fertilizers and neglect organic manure, which invariably leads to this decline, especially in intensively cropped regions.
- Declining soil fertility: Almost 95 percent of the soils in India are deficient in nitrogen and phosphorus. Potassium deficiency has become widespread, with almost 50 percent of fields being deficient. The same deficiency exists with sulphur and other micronutrients, particularly zinc.
- Physical degradation in soil conditions: Indiscriminate use of tilling, machinery used in harvesting, crop residue burning, and puddling leads to poor physical soil structure. This in turn, affects future cropping and irrigation.
- Chemical degradation of soils: Soils degrade chemically through diffusion and from local sources, leading to salinization, acidification, alkalization, and further soil toxification. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides have a major role in the process of soil chemical degradation.
According to the 2023 ICAR report:
- 95% of Indian soils are nitrogen-deficient.
- 50% of Indian soils show potassium shortages.
- Micronutrient deficiencies are rising, especially in arid and semi-arid zones.
What Are the Consequences of Poor Soil Health?
- Declining crop productivity: According to the ICAR report 2023, poor soil health can reduce crop yields by 20–25%, especially in intensively farmed regions.
- Increased input costs: Farmers spend 20–30% more on fertilizers and irrigation when soil fertility declines, straining smallholder incomes.
- Reduced nutrient density in food: Research indicates that nutrient-poor soils can lead to up to a 30% drop in essential micronutrients like iron and zinc in crops.
- Environmental damage: Over 70% of surface water contamination in agricultural zones is linked to nutrient runoff and pesticide leaching from degraded soils.
What Are the Best Practices for Soil and Nutrient Management?
As farm yields reduce, and cost of inputs keeps rising, farmers are realizing the importance of improved soil health and nutrient management on their fields. Scientific practices have the ability to improve crop yields, reduce input costs, and have a host of environmental benefits.
Some of these practices include:
Balanced and integrated use of fertilizers and micronutrients: All essential nutrients need to be applied in optimum quantities and in planned methods that are dependent on soil, crop, and climatic conditions. Timing and a judicious mix of nutrients will meet crop demands and will prevent excesses. Over-fertilizing of crops increases pest issues. Excess of nitrogen levels in plants can decrease resistance to pests and result in crop damage.
This, of course, is only made possible with proper soil testing, outreach programs, and policy initiatives. For instance, a reform of the Nutrient-Based Subsidy Scheme could be extended to include urea as well as other nutrients. Use of organic nutrients should also be encouraged, since an important factor in maintaining soil organic matter.
Reduction in inversion tilling: Excess tilling is detrimental to soil health. Tilling tends to decompose organic matter and disturb the soil aggregates, leading to a reduction in soil health, an increase in erosion, and reduced productivity. Tilling would only be required in order to increase organic input via residual crops or manure. Reduction in tillage may appear to be cumbersome and dependent on the individual field’s status; however, the benefits to the farmer are significant in the long run.
Reduction in synthetic pesticides and promoting beneficial organisms: Indiscriminate use of synthetic pesticides and insecticides has adversely affected the environment and agricultural production. Harmful chemicals have found their way into the food chain and the water table. Pesticide residue pollutes soil, groundwater, and surface water, and affects livestock, crops, and humans.
- Use of agrochemicals has been particularly rampant in commercial farming, as the damage to standing crops from pests is a continuing problem.
- Relying on pest-resilient plant varieties, crop rotation, biodegradable pesticides, and environment-friendly pesticides is the way forward.
- Newer concepts, such as farmscaping, could control the problem of pests through beneficial organisms and lead to a reduction in the use of synthetic pesticides.
Preserving soil moisture: Water shortages due to shrinkage in groundwater availability are a major issue affecting soil health, especially in monsoon-dependent arid regions of north India. Crops are starved or stressed for water due to low rainfall, high temperatures, and inconsistent or poor irrigation. Methods or systems that promote moisture guard against droughts and have a cyclical effect on soil health and fertility.
Techniques such as strip tillage, no tillage, mulching, cover cropping, contouring, etc., have been shown to increase moisture retention in soil.
The 4Rs of Nutrient Management
The 4Rs of nutrient management are referred to when talking about proper nutrient application and soil health. Soil health is in harmony with nutrient management, and they are mutually interdependent.
- Right Source: Select the appropriate type of fertilizer or organic input.
- Right Rate: Apply nutrients in quantities that meet crop requirements.
- Right Time: Time applications to match crop growth stages.
- Right Place: Place nutrients where crops can absorb them effectively.
Together, these four principles—right source, right rate, right time, and right place—serve as a comprehensive guide to efficient and sustainable farming practices.
How Region-Specific Interventions Make a Difference
Due to India’s diverse soil types and climates, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. Region-specific soil testing, customized nutrient solutions, and local farmer training are essential for sustainable agriculture.
Balanced nutrient management must consider soil nutrient availability, crop removal rates, investment returns, moisture conditions, and degradation types like salinity or acidity. A region-specific approach is crucial to maintain ecological balance and increase yields. This can be strengthened through targeted education and policy support.
Soil Health in India: Key Statistics
Real-World Impact: A Case Study from Haryana and Rajasthan
S M Sehgal Foundation, a well-recognized rural development NGO, in partnership with Mosaic India Private Limited, supports farmers in Haryana and Rajasthan under Mosaic Company’s Krishi Jyoti project. Working in the semi-arid regions of Mewat District of Haryana and Alwar District of Rajasthan, the project reached over 40,000 people across 60 villages of these districts, focusing on improving soil health, water management, and nutrient application. Key activities included:
- Distribution of high-quality seeds and fertilizers.
- Use of macro and micronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc etc.
- Soil testing and farmer training on balanced nutrient practices.
- Promotion of water-efficient irrigation techniques like drip irrigation.
- Construction of check dams and other water conservation infrastructure.
The initiative has been acknowledged, appreciated, and has received multiple awards, including the FICCI Water Award in 2013 and the Bhamashah Award of the Rajasthan government in 2016 and 2017 in different categories. The felicitation is proof of the effort by Mosaic India Pvt. Ltd. and S M Sehgal Foundation to bring about positive change in the lives of small-scale farmers.
Conclusion
Sustainable farming starts from the ground—literally. With scientific nutrient management, region-specific strategies, and awareness-building among farmers, the path to healthier soil is achievable. Programs like Krishi Jyoti prove that localized, knowledge-driven agricultural interventions can enhance productivity, reduce costs, and preserve the environment. In the long run, such approaches can significantly contribute to national goals like doubling farmer incomes and ensuring food security.
FAQs
Overuse of chemical fertilizers, intensive cropping, and lack of organic matter are key reasons.
By using balanced fertilizers, organic manure, and adopting sustainable irrigation and tillage practices.
Micronutrients like zinc and sulfur are vital for plant growth and improving crop resistance to diseases.
Mulching, contour farming, strip tillage, and cover cropping help retain soil moisture.
It determines nutrient deficiencies and helps in planning precise fertilizer application.
Contact us 
Sign up for