Farmers urged to test soil before sowing
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 28 2025: Irabot Foundation Manipur has urged farmers to assess soil health and composition ahead of the seed sowing season to enhance crop production and conserve soil fertility.

Speaking at a press meet held at Manipur Press Club here on Monday, Irabot Foundation Manipur president Kh Gopen Luwang informed that conserving soil fertility is a key component of nationalism, adding that without good soil health, a nation would become barren and civilisation stalled.

Gopen highlighted the importance of soil testing, explaining that it helps farmers improve productivity, ensure effective utilisation of inputs, adopt cost-effective farming measures and preserve soil health for future generations.

He said soil is not just mass of dirt but a reservoir of useful nutrients for living beings, and understanding whether the soil is acidic, neutral or alkaline can help farmers select the right nutrients and crop types for better yield.

"Without proper knowledge of soil health, indiscriminate use of fertilisers, pesticides and labour would not yield positive results", advised the president.

He also warned about the negative impacts of unsupervised use of chemical fertilisers, including decreased soil fertility, reduced productivity, environmental degradation and the risk of natural calamities, ultimately affecting society.

"The Irabot Foundation Manipur, in collaboration with departments concerned, will initiate soil testing programmes," Gopen informed and urged the public to take advantage of the initiative.

He also stressed the need for government policies to promote soil testing and prioritise farmers with soil health testing reports in providing scheme benefits.

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