{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Rajasthan schools to get soil testing labs bringing facilities directly to villages",
  "summary": "The agriculture department is setting up soil and water testing labs in 549 PM Shri schools across the state including 26 schools in Sikar. This initiative will save farmers from traveling to district headquarters and promote balanced fertilizer use.",
  "content": "Farmers will no longer need to make frequent trips to district headquarters just to get their farm soil and water tested. Essential soil and water testing facilities are being established in close proximity to villages within PM Shri schools. The agriculture department is rolling out soil testing laboratories across 549 PM Shri government senior secondary schools in the state. This rollout includes 26 schools located in the Sikar district, ensuring that farmers receive timely updates about their land health and encouragement toward balanced fertilizer application.\n\nTarget to launch testing services by December\nThe agriculture department has set a firm target to set up these labs and commence testing operations in the chosen PM Shri schools by December of this year. A budget of approximately one lakh rupees has been sanctioned for each participating school. This allocated funding will directly procure essential laboratory equipment, chemical kits, and testing reagents. Selected schools will initially integrate with the official Soil Health Card portal, after which the formal process of testing soil and water samples will begin.\n\nStudents to gain practical agricultural science knowledge\nA unique feature of this administrative scheme is that the school laboratories will double as educational hubs for government school students alongside serving farmers. Students from classes 7, 8, 9, and 11 will receive hands-on training on collecting soil and water samples and conducting tests. School teachers and agriculture department experts will jointly train the children. This approach will equip students with practical agricultural science and modern technology alongside their conventional textbook education.\n\nComplete digitization of the testing workflow\nTo ensure total transparency within the soil and water testing mechanism, the entire workflow will connect to a digital platform. While collecting samples from the fields, operators will record the farmer details and exact GPS location using a mobile app. This tracking will verify the precise origin field of each sample and monitor its testing progress at every stage. Once testing concludes, results will be uploaded online, and a digital Soil Health Card will be issued to the farmer.\n\nExpanding testing capacity in Sikar\nThe necessity for soil testing in Sikar becomes apparent considering that over 30,000 farmers arrive with soil samples every year seeking analysis. In contrast, existing setups manage to test only about 12,000 of those samples. Traveling to district headquarters, submitting samples, and collecting reports proves time-consuming for farmers residing far away. Opening laboratories directly inside local schools will expand testing capacity and deliver localized convenience to growers.\n\nImproving soil health through balanced nutrient management\nWithout timely soil analysis, farmers frequently apply chemical fertilizers and inputs without understanding the actual nutritional requirements of their soil. Such practices increase cultivation expenses while degrading soil quality over time. Soil Health Cards will provide farmers with precise data on existing soil nutrients and tailored fertilizer management according to crop demands. This guidance aims to foster balanced nutrient management and drive better agricultural yields.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThis initiative will directly assist rural farmers in upgrading their agricultural output and land management practices.\n\n• Across India: Farmers nationwide will benefit from modern agricultural techniques and timely soil testing facilities to boost crop yields.\n• In Sikar: Growers in the Sikar district will no longer need to travel to distant headquarters for soil tests, saving both time and transport costs.\n• Cost Reduction: Balanced fertilizer usage will curb unnecessary chemical expenses for cultivators.\n• Transparency: Digital tracking and mobile applications will deliver testing reports to farmers online without delays.\n• Student Benefits: Government school children will gain hands-on practical knowledge of agricultural science from an early age.\n• Implementation: Labs are targeted to launch across all selected schools by December of this year.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. How many schools are getting soil testing labs under this scheme?\nThe agriculture department is setting up soil testing labs in 549 PM Shri government senior secondary schools across the state.\n\n2. How many schools in Sikar district are included in this project?\nA total of 26 schools in the Sikar district are included in this soil testing initiative.\n\n3. What budget has been sanctioned for each school lab?\nA budget of approximately one lakh rupees has been sanctioned for each school to purchase equipment and chemicals.\n\n4. Which students will receive training under this scheme?\nStudents from classes 7, 8, 9, and 11 will receive practical training in collecting and testing soil and water samples.\n\n5. What is the deadline for launching the labs?\nThe agriculture department aims to establish the labs and launch testing facilities in the selected schools by December of this year.\n\n6. Approximately how many farmers bring soil samples in Sikar annually?\nMore than 30,000 farmers arrive with soil samples for testing in Sikar every year.\n\n7. What technology is used to keep the testing process transparent?\nMobile apps record farmer details and GPS location during sample collection, and results are published online.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/rajasthan/rajasthan-ke-schools-men-khulengi-mitti-jancha-labs-kisanon-ko-ganva-men-hi-milengi-suvidhaen-24145",
  "category": "Rajasthan",
  "publishedAt": "2026-08-29",
  "tags": [
    "Soil Testing Lab",
    "PM Shri Schools",
    "Sikar News",
    "Agriculture Department Rajasthan",
    "Soil Health Card",
    "Farmer Schemes"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}