INM Trainees visit Directorate of Agriculture Jammu for Exposure on Soil, Fertilizer & Pesticide Testing

Jammu: On the third day of the ongoing 15-day certificate course on Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) for agricultural input dealers, 30 participants from Jammu, Kathua, Kupwara, Anantnag, and Baramulla districts visited the Soil, Fertilizer, and Pesticide Testing Laboratory at Directorate of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Krishi Bhawan Jammu. The training program was conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, SKUAST Jammu.
The exposure visit was organized to provide trainees with hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of soil testing, fertilizer management, and pesticide analysis. The visit also aimed to familiarize participants with the parameters of soil testing, soil health cards, and the process of making test-based recommendations for fertilizers, pesticides, and other agricultural inputs.
During the visit, trainees interacted with Director Agriculture Jammu, Arvinder Singh Reen, who emphasized the crucial role that fertilizer/input dealers play in disseminating knowledge on fertilizer management to farmers. He highlighted the importance of making dealers more aware of the available natural resources, the balanced use of inputs, and the need to improve their professional competencies. By doing so, they can provide the best advisory services to the farming community.
The trainees were briefed by Dr. Neeraj Rajwal, Assistant Soil Chemist Jammu, who explained the Soil Health Card scheme and demonstrated the various laboratory equipment and techniques used for nutrient analysis of soil samples. He also explained the process of collecting soil samples from farmers’ fields and analyzing major and micro-nutrients in soil.
Dr. Dolly John, Assistant Biochemist, provided insights into the Fertilizer Laboratory’s operations, including quality assessments, nutrient analysis, contaminant detection, soil compatibility, and chromium analysis. Dr. Adil Rashid Assistant Soil Survey officer detailed the working of Soil Survey Section. Additionally, Dr Tarminder Singh, Research Assistant, detailed the procedures involved in pesticide testing, including pesticide residue analysis, pesticide screening for food and agriculture, and quality assessments of registered pesticides and their formulations.
The visit concluded with an interactive technical discussion, where trainees had the opportunity to deliberate with the laboratory staff on various aspects of soil, fertilizer, and pesticide testing. Dr. Satvir Singh SMS KVK Jammu, along with the staff members of KVK Jammu, Directorate of Extension, accompanied the participants throughout the program.