TNAU Developed ‘Soil Health Software’
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has developed a ‘Soil Health Software’ in Tamil which provides fertiliser prescriptions that are specific for a particular site and situation, based on the initial soil tests.If data such as the date of the soil test, the soil type, crop and season are fed into the programme, the software will generate the prescriptions in Tamil.The software would also estimate disorders like soil salinity, alkalinity and acidity, in addition to providing recommendations for their management. The software would be updated as and when new fertiliser recommendations or management practices are generated.The soil test data could also be entered in the TNAU ‘Soil Health Card’ from time to time, which was being issued by the Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) of the university.By referring this data, a farmer could judge his soil health in the long run, which, in turn, would enable him to understand the effects of balanced fertilisation and management practices on soil health.The software is available in Tamil and interested persons can undergo a one-day training programme at a cost of Rs 1,000 at TNAU. For details contact: The Professor and Head, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, TNAU, Coimbatore-641 003.The university can also be reached by phone at 0422- 6611235/6611435.
