Course Description
Soil health is an essential foundation for sustainable rice-based cropping systems, which pervade South Asia’s agricultural landscape. However, continuous cropping, imbalanced nutrient application, excessive reliance on chemical fertilizers, and poor residue management have increasingly degraded soil quality, threatening long-term productivity and environmental sustainability.
This course is designed to provide participants with advanced, science-based knowledge and hands-on skills for assessing and improving soil health in rice-based systems. Through an integrated and systems-oriented approach, the course will emphasize sustainable soil management practices that enhance productivity, nutrient efficiency, and resilience to climate stress, leading to food security and optimized ecosystem health in the region.
Course Objectives
By the end of the training course, the participants should be able to:
- Build advanced knowledge and skills in assessing and managing soil health.
- Address soil constraints in rice-based cropping systems with region-specific strategies.
- Demonstrate the integration of organic and inorganic inputs for long-term soil fertility.
- Promote climate-smart soil and water management practices.
- Enable decision-making using soil health indicators, digital tools, and ICT platforms.
Key Modules:
Module 1: Fundamentals of Soil Health and Assessment
- Concepts of soil health and sustainable intensification
- Soil health indicators (biological, chemical, physical)
- Soil microbiological indicators and biofertilizer applications
- Soil Health Index introduction
- Hands-on: Soil texture, compaction, infiltration, sampling techniques
Module 2: Soil Nutrient Dynamics, Biofertilizers and Integrated Nutrient Management
- Nutrient cycles (N, P, K) and loss pathways
- Soil degradation in paddy systems and solutions
- Principles and practices of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) and Site-Specific Nutrient Management
- Efficient fertilizer use in puddled rice vs. DSR
- Hands-on: On-farm bio-input production, soil health kit demonstration, biochar use
Module 3: Soil Organic Matter Management and Water Conservation
- Strategies to enhance Soil Organic Matter (SOM): compost, cover crops, carbon farming
- Soil moisture management: AWD, raised beds, mulching, irrigation
- Soil conservation techniques: erosion control, conservation agriculture, residue management
- Exposure Visit: Field showcasing integrated soil-water-organic practices
Module 4: Soil Fertility Planning and Policy Integration
- Nutrient budgeting and customized fertilizer scheduling
- Soil health governance: policy frameworks, certification, incentives, Soil Health Cards
- Capstone Exercise: Group-wise concept notes presentations
Learning Modality
In-person with practical and field components
Target Audience
- Agricultural extension officers and field professionals
- Soil scientists, agronomists, and environmental specialists
- Agricultural university faculty and postgraduate students
- NGO and development sector professionals working on sustainable agriculture
