Activities include conducting awareness rallies, seminars (“Rural–Urban Soil Stewardship” seminar in 2025), mobile soil testing vans sponsored by IFFCO, distribution of Soil Health Cards to farmers, and their prescription for nutrient management for better yields and sustainable farming. Key Activities & Reporting:
Organized events at BCKV on “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities” comprising seminars, awareness rallies, and the inauguration of IFFCO-sponsored mobile soil testing van.
SHC:
Distribution of Soil Health Cards to farmers every two years to guide fertilizer use is the main focus, under the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture, with IFFCO and BCKV’s KVKs playing a part in it.
Awareness & Training:
BCKV trains farmers, conducts workshops, and uses its Agromet Advisory Service to share soil health information via the Kishan Portal and website. Joint Initiatives: IFFCO provides BCKV with mobile vans; the latter’s soil science departments work on developing better methods for soil testing.
This isn’t just a theme; it is a mandate for our survival. On 5th December, on World Soil Day 2025, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (BCKV) transformed this mandate into a massive demonstration of stewardship, echoing from our main campus in Mohanpur and our colleges, centres and KVKs across the region. 🔹𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞:
A Sea of White In a display of unity, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor Dr. Ashok K. Patra led a majestic march of over 800 faculty, staff, and students. Clad in white T-shirts and caps, participants turned the streets into a canvas of awareness, carrying banners, placards and distributing leaflets. The meticulous organization ensured full medical support was on standby, allowing us to focus solely on the message. The march culminated in a solemn “Pledge to Save Soil,” administered by the Hon’ble VC Bckv. 🔹𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
We believe awareness starts young. Students from Gopal Academy, Rajlakshmi Academy, Rabitirtha Vidyalaya, and Experimental School engaged in spirited painting and quiz contests and prize distribution. A unique highlight was the premiere of “Soil’s Song,” an original composition for this WSD by BCKV students, followed by the emotive state song, “Banglar Mati, Banglar Jal….,” rooting our global mission in local culture.
🔹𝐑𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥-𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩:
The afternoon seminar, chaired by Prof. R. K. Kole and co-chaired by Dr. Abhijit Saha, bridged the gap between rural production and urban health. Following the release of new soil-centric publications, Dr. Ashok K. Patra delivered a keynote on the national crisis of Soil Degradation.
Institutional Linkage: The Department of Agricultural Chemistry & Soil Science at BCKV enjoys excellent liaison with national organizations such as IFFCO for various academic, research, and extension activities.
Krishak Mitra Programme:
Various programmes are run by KVKs of BCKV, amongst them Krishi Mitra Programme, which is very often associated with the efforts of IFFCO to reach out to farmers.
The common objectives of both the organizations can be listed as promoting activities related to soil health management, judicious application of fertilizers based on soil test reports, and training and awareness among farmers.
World Soil Day Activities
BCKV routinely celebrates December 5 as World Soil Day. On the occasion of World Soil Day 2025, a special seminar titled “Rural-Urban Soil Stewardship: Healthy soils for healthy cities and villages” was streamed by BCKV. Such events reflect the broader objectives shared with IFFCO in view of conserving soil and fostering sustainable agricultural practices.
IFFCO itself conducts extensive, pan-India campaigns and awareness programmes on World Soil Day regarding:
Educating farmers on the risks of using urea in excess. Advocacy for the use of nano-fertilizers and other sustainable alternatives. Collaboration with different institutions like ICAR and a network of KVKs, of which KVKs under BCKV are a part, for collaborative research, testing of products, and dissemination of technologies.BCKV’s Focus on World Soil Day and Soil Health
Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV)
A leading State Agricultural University in West Bengal, plays a crucial role in promoting soil health awareness and scientific management, particularly around World Soil Day on December 5th.
Research and Education
The university’s Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science and the Department of Soil and Water Conservation are central to these efforts. They focus on research into:
Developing soil testing protocols and preparing micronutrient deficiency maps of West Bengal.
Conducting research on heavy metal contamination and remediation in soil.
Studying the impact of integrated nutrient and water management practices.
Training future agricultural scientists in subjects like conservation agriculture and watershed management.
Extension and Outreach Activities
BCKV translates its research into action through extensive outreach to farmers, a core activity highlighted during World Soil Day.
Soil Testing Services: The university operates a Farmers’ Service Centre for Soil Testing and Fertilizer Recommendation, often utilizing a Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory to reach remote areas. This facilitates soil test-based recommendations, encouraging the judicious use of fertilizers.
Training Programs: The university and its Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) regularly organize training on soil health management, including:
Judicious fertilizer application.
Production and application of biofertilizers and vermicompost.
Adoption of sustainable practices to counter soil degradation like erosion and chemical imbalance.
WSD Observance: BCKV consistently observes World Soil Day with events like special seminars and workshops. For instance, the university held a special seminar aligned with the 2025 theme, “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities,” underscoring the importance of urban and rural soil stewardship.
By integrating teaching, advanced research, and direct farmer engagement, BCKV ensures that the message of soil conservation is deeply embedded in the state’s agricultural practices, making its observance of World Soil Day a meaningful part of its mission.
The partnership between IFFCO and BCKV forms an integral component of the wider endeavor in India toward sustainable agriculture, amidst global occasions such as World Soil Day (December 5th). Their collaboration draws on IFFCO’s pan-India presence and resources with BCKV’s more localized and high-quality research expertise in promoting better soil health practices among farmers in West Bengal.
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1. IFFCO: A National Champion for Soil Health
Being one of the largest fertilizer cooperatives in the world, IFFCO has a basic functional philosophy extending far beyond production and distribution of chemical fertilizers. The very core philosophy of “Society of the Farmers, by the Farmers, and for the Farmers” dictates deep involvement in farmers’ welfare and environmental sustainability, with prime focus on soil health.
Key IFFCO Initiatives for Soil Conservation:
Save the Soil Campaign:
This is a major, ongoing awareness drive focussing on soil rejuvenation and the adoption of sustainable farming practices. The campaign, in particular, advocates for:
Soil Testing:
Encouraging farmers to apply nutrients based on scientific soil test reports rather than blanket recommendations.
Balanced & Integrated Nutrient Management:
INM promotes the use of organic manures, bio-fertilizers, and micronutrients with a focus on chemical fertilizers to correct imbalances such as the skewed NPK ratio.
Nano Revolution:
IFFCO has been the pioneer in introducing Nano Fertilizers-namely Nano Urea and Nano DAP-to the market. These are highly efficient products, hence the consumption of traditional chemical fertilizers will be reduced, thereby minimizing soil and environmental pollution due to runoff and leaching.
Extension and Outreach:
IFFCO uses its wide network of cooperative societies and field staff to conduct thousands of promotional and extension programmes every year. These programs are essential to educate farmers on maintaining soil health, water conservation, and the latest agro-technologies.
Academic Partnerships:
IFFCO actively establishes Professors’ Chairs across various reputed Agricultural Universities, including State Agricultural Universities like BCKV, with the purpose of integrating its practical experience with academic research and passing on crucial knowledge to the next generation of agricultural scientists.
2. BCKV as an Academic and Extension Hub
Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya is a key regional institution in West Bengal for imparting agricultural education, research, and extension. Its departments, like the Department of Agricultural Chemistry & Soil Science and Soil and Water Conservation, are the scientific powerhouse for soil-related activities in the state.
BCKV’s Soil Health Activities:
Soil Testing and Research: BCKV operates a Farmers’ Service Centre for Soil Testing and Fertilizer Recommendation; very often, services are offered through the facilities of a Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory that receives samples from the different agro-climatic zones of West Bengal. The location-specific fertilizer recommendation models, such as Targeted Yield Equations, are developed through their AICRP on Soil Test Crop Response Correlation to ensure precise and efficient nutrient application.
Capacity Building:
The university, through its extension directorate and a network of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), conducts regular and extensive farmers’ training programs on subjects related to soil health, including:
Bio-fertilizer production and use.
Vermicomposting and organic matter recycling.
Water-use efficiency and micro-irrigation systems
World Soil Day Observance: BCKV invariably celebrates World Soil Day on December 5th every year with special seminars, workshops, and awareness drives. This allows farmers, students, and all other stakeholders to be engaged through an annual FAO-designated theme to portray local soil challenges and scientific solutions.
3. The Synergy:
BCKV and IFFCO on World Soil Day This collaboration is not a single event always between BCKV and IFFCO, but a strategic liaison that culminates in shared goals on World Soil Day.
Knowledge Transfer:
BCKV’s researchers provide IFFCO with the local, scientific data needed for region-specific product development and extension messaging. In turn, IFFCO helps BCKV’s KVKs distribute new soil health technologies and products to the grassroots level, including their Nano Fertilizers.
Joint Outreach for Balanced Nutrition:
World Soil Day activities serve as a perfect opportunity for both organizations to jointly emphasize the importance of Soil Health Cards and soil-test-based fertilizer application. Their representatives frequently participate in seminars organized by BCKV, while scientists from BCKV have added credibility to farmer rallies organized by IFFCO, all with the objective of spreading the message of reducing over-application of conventional urea.
Promotion of sustainable solutions:
For example, when BCKV focuses its World Soil Day seminar on Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), the IFFCO field staff can straightaway connect the academic message with tangible, available products such as bio-fertilizer or Nano Urea to present a practical, market-ready solution to the farmers. In sum, this is the powerful fusion of scientific rigor and market-driven outreach of BCKV and IFFCO.
This collaboration on World Soil Day ensures that the global message of soil conservation resonates locally, equipping the farming community in West Bengal with both knowledge and wherewithal to transition towards a more sustainable and soil-friendly agricultural future.
