IIT Guwahati Brings Soil Carbon Testing to All 33 Blocks of Sikkim in Push to Map Northeast India's Agricultural Land

A one-day training programme at Gangtok on June 2 put soil organic carbon testing kits in the hands of progressive farmers from every block of Sikkim. This is a part of a larger IIT Guwahati initiative that aims to build a ground-level soil carbon map to guide agricultural policy across the Northeast.

Published 8 Jun 2026 | Category Community and Outreach | Office School of Agro and Rural Technology

A Training-cum-Capacity Building Programme on Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Kit was organized in Gangtok by IIT Guwahati in collaboration with ICAR-ATARI Zone VI.

The programme was conducted under the guidance of Prof. Sudip Mitra, Head of the School of Agro and Rural Technology (SART) at IIT Guwahati and Project Investigator. The event brought together scientists, extension professionals, policymakers, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) personnel, and progressive farmers from across Sikkim to strengthen awareness and capacity on soil health management.

The Sikkim programme was the seventh such event in the series. Five earlier sessions have been held in Assam at IIT Guwahati, Sonitpur, Golaghat, Morigaon, Karbi Anglong, and Cachar. Across those events, approximately 200 farmers have been trained and given SOC kits free of charge, with 20 to 30 farmers selected per district by KVKs and IIT Guwahati on the basis of location and suitability.

The Sikkim event was notable for its statewide reach. Progressive farmers representing all 33 blocks attended — 10 blocks from East Sikkim (Pakyong and Gangtok districts), 11 from West Sikkim (Soreng and Gyalshing districts), 4 from North Sikkim (Mangan district), and 8 from South Sikkim (Namchi district). Approximately 30 SOC kits were distributed at the close of the programme.

The event was graced by Dr. Ashok Kumar (HoRC, ICAR-Sikkim Centre), Dr. N. C. Sahu (Technical Consultant, ICAR-ATARI Zone VI, Guwahati), Dr. Rachna Gurung (Director, SAMETI, Sikkim), Dr. Prakash Sharma (Senior Scientist & Head, ICAR-KVK), and Sri Yogesh Sharma (Joint Director, Department of Agriculture, Government of Sikkim), along with Heads and Subject Matter Specialists of KVKs, representatives from ICAR-RCNEH, and scientific staff from IIT Guwahati.

Technical sessions covered the significance of soil organic carbon in maintaining soil health and sustaining agricultural productivity, followed by training on scientific soil sample collection procedures. Farmers then gained hands-on experience in field-based SOC assessment, testing samples collected from their own fields — the core skill they will carry home and put to ongoing use. This allows farmers to test their soils themselves and share results through their respective KVKs. The data will be aggregated to build a district- and state-level soil organic carbon map of the region.

Once complete, the map will be shared with KVKs, ICAR-ATARI, State Government Agriculture Departments, and other relevant stakeholders — giving policymakers and extension workers a granular, farmer-generated picture of soil health across Northeast India for the first time.