Knowledge Level on Soil Health Management among Soil Health Card Holders of Namakkal District, India

Abstract

Aims: Soil structural deterioration and degradation is a major concern in the present-day agriculture scenario. Poor soil health directly affects the health of the plant and its productivity; indirectly the health of human beings as well as animals. So, scientific knowledge of soil management on the part of the farmer-producers is necessary. So, the main aim of the study is to identify the knowledge level on soil health management among the soil health card holders. Study Design:  Ex-post facto research. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Namakkal district of Tamilnadu during the months of July-August 2021. All the selected respondents were the holders of soil health card as it contains physical and chemical characteristics of soil, they have a working knowledge of research problem and were able to provide responses. Methodology: Data were collected by using a pre-tested and structured questionnaire through a face-to-face interview method. The sample size is 120 selected from four blocks of Namakkal district. The statistical analysis applied were frequency distribution, percentage analysis, mean, and standard deviation. Results: The study shows that more than half of the soil health card holders (55.83 percent) had an overall high level of knowledge about soil health management practices. Conclusion: The soil health card scheme was brought to bring improvement of soil health in the long run by farmers all over the country. Thus, the knowledge of soil health management practices including modern technology can be disseminated to a greater extent for the benefit of the farmers including non-holders of soil health cards through formal and informal meetings and training.