Why Do Farmers With the Same Soil Get Completely Different Results?

Two farmers. Same village. Same soil type. Same crop. However, one person reaps twice the yield of the other. This is not an uncommon occurrence in Indian agriculture, but one of the most prevalent, and most heart-wrenching. It is seldom caused by the soil itself. It's all above ground and below ground, testing, nutrient management, water application, sowing date and variety choice. This blog explains the exact reason why farmers in the same field conditions and using the same seeds are able to obtain completely different results — and science and the Government of India tell us how to bridge the gap. 

The Soil Is Not the Problem — The Management Is 

Soils are severely stressed in India. As per a 2025 study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), sixty-four percent of samples of Indian soil were deficient in nitrogen and 48.5% were deficient in organic carbon. More than 70% Indian soils are either too acidic or alkaline, which makes it difficult for plants to absorb the nutrients that are already in the soil, even if fertiliser is applied. However, in the same conditions of poor soils, some farmers are always able to produce more than their neighbours. Research carried out by the Government of India's Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme indicates that farmers using the SHC scheme have cut chemical fertiliser use by 8-10% and boosted production by 5-6%. It's not the soil that is different between the high yield farmer and low yield farmer in the same soil, it's the decisions that are made. 

Farmer A vs. Farmer B: What Makes the Difference? 

The table below compares two farmers working the same soil type — one achieving low yields, one achieving high yields — and identifies exactly where the gap opens up: 

The Fertiliser Trap: More Is Not Better 

Blind application of urea without soil testing is one of the most harmful and prevalent farming practice in India. The current level of NPK application ratio in India is 7:2.8:1, which is not optimum, but should ideally be 4:2:1. This extreme imbalance in nitrogen can cause micronutrient deficiencies, such as zinc and sulphur, and affects soil health each season. A farmer who applied too much nitrogen but not enough phosphorus and potassium will get green looking crops, but poor grain quality, weak roots and low yields — paying more for fertiliser than his more-informed neighbor. The answer is not in increasing fertiliser use. It is to apply the correct fertiliser, in the correct amounts, at the right time, according to the needs of the soil. The Soil Health Card scheme aims to do just that in India. 

Timing and Variety: Two Factors Farmers Underestimate 

It has been repeatedly reported by ICAR that late sowing is one of the maximum reason for loss of yields in Indian agriculture. A delay in sowing of 15–25 days after the optimum time for wheat in north Indian region results in a loss of 15–25% in yield. If reliable rains fail during the first two weeks of kharif crop sownings, for crops such as soya bean and cotton, yields could be reduced by a comparable amount just because of the timing and not due to soil conditions or fertiliser input. This is magnified by variety selection. If a farmer is growing an old low yielding variety, he will always lag behind any neighbour who is growing an ICAR recommended high yielding variety (HYV) on the same soil. HYVs are developed specifically for the agro-climatic conditions and optimised for balanced nutrition and water use. An HYV can give a soil and input advantage of 30-50% compared with unimproved traditional varieties on the same soil. 

How the Government of India Is Helping Close the Gap 

The Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme, launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in February 2015, has issued over 22 crore soil health cards to Indian farmers across two cycles. Each card tests soil across 12 parameters — including N, P, K, pH, organic carbon, and six micronutrients — and provides crop-specific fertiliser recommendations. In 2023, the scheme was upgraded with a GIS-integrated portal and a revamped mobile app to make soil test results accessible to farmers directly on their phones. For the official Soil Health Card scheme information: 

https://www.pib.gov.in/FactsheetDetails.aspx?Id=148602 

The New Soil Health Card Scheme implementation update — covering the 2024–25 rollout of Village Level Soil Testing Labs (665 labs established in 17 states as of February 2025) — is available at: 

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2099759 

The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) provides a broader framework for soil health management, water use efficiency, and integrated farming systems support across India’s diverse agro-climatic zones. For full NMSA details: 

https://nmsa.dac.gov.in/ 

 Conclusion 

It has been repeatedly reported by ICAR that late sowing is one of the maximum reason for loss of yields in Indian agriculture. A delay in sowing of 15–25 days after the optimum time for wheat in north Indian region results in a loss of 15–25% in yield. If reliable rains fail during the first two weeks of kharif crop sownings, for crops such as soya bean and cotton, yields could be reduced by a comparable amount just because of the timing and not due to soil conditions or fertiliser input. This is magnified by variety selection. If a farmer is growing an old low yielding variety, he will always lag behind any neighbour who is growing an ICAR recommended high yielding variety (HYV) on the same soil. HYVs are developed specifically for the agro-climatic conditions and optimised for balanced nutrition and water use. An HYV can give a soil and input advantage of 30-50% compared with unimproved traditional varieties on the same soil. 

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