Soil is our major natural resource because most of our food, clothing and other necessities of life come directly or indirectly from it. There is scarce land suitable for cultivation in our country. One of the greatest challenges is to supply sufficient food for the rapid growing population of our country production per unit area. Intensive cropping system and high yielding varieties have depleted soil from its nutrients and crop yield is declining day by day. Fertilizers offer best means of increasing yield and maintaining soil fertility at the sufficient high level to ensure that good yield can be obtained consistently year after year.
Soil testing is a more rapid and simple way to evaluate the fertility status and optimum requirement of fertilizers for good yield and to identify the specific soil problems which may be eradicated through cultural practices or by the addition of soil amendments.
Government of the Punjab established soil and water testing laboratories at district level in March, 1981 in order to meet the needs of the farmers, which are rendering their services to the farmers. Seven other laboratories were sanctioned in February, 1988 in newly created districts including Soil & Water Testing Laboratory, Toba Tek Singh. Soil samples are collected from farmer’s field on their request and analyzed for physical and chemical characteristics in laboratory at nominal fee. The farmers are advised to improve the soil fertility on the basis of analysis report and to get high yield by applying recommended doses of fertilizers.
The main objectives of Soil & Water Testing Laboratory, Toba Tek Singh are:
- To suggest measures through soil testing advisory services for the improvement of soil fertility using suitable fertilizers and avoiding extra expenditure
- To evaluate the fertility status and other physiochemical characteristics of different soils
- To control the salinity
- To analyze the sub soil water for the suitability for irrigation purpose
- To evaluate the fertility status of different soils
- To render the facilities for each farmers for the analysis of his soil on nominal rates
- To diagnose the soil problem and advise the farmers for its reclamation through suitable amendments