Maximize Farm Profits: Soil Secrets for Bumper Harvests Revealed

• Choosing the right crop based on soil type is crucial for farmers to increase yield and profit, especially with changing weather and rising costs.
• AMU's Professor Saleha Jamal highlights India's diverse soil types, each suited for specific crops; alluvial soil is most fertile for wheat, paddy, sugarcane.
• Black soil in Maharashtra and Gujarat is ideal for cotton and groundnuts due to moisture retention; red soil in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha supports tobacco, groundnuts, pulses.
• Laterite soil in South India is profitable for cash crops like tea, rubber, coconut, while hilly regions are best for fruits and spices.
• The government's Soil Health Card Scheme (launched 2015) helps farmers test soil, reducing fertilizer use by 8-10% and increasing yields by 6-8%.

Why It Matters: Understanding soil type and utilizing Soil Health Cards are key to profitable, sustainable farming in India.