Do I need a soil health card or any test to claim irrigation or horticulture subsidy?

A soil health card is not universally compulsory for every subsidy, but some states and some schemes do ask for it or for a basic water or soil suitability check, especially for micro irrigation and for orchard establishment, because they want to confirm the land suits the planned crop and system. Where it is asked, getting a soil health card is free or low cost through your state soil testing labs and is worth having anyway, since it guides your fertiliser use too. For horticulture, a few schemes also expect a planting plan or a suitability note. The simplest approach is to check the document checklist on the specific scheme page before you apply, if a soil health card or water test is listed, arrange it early because lab turnaround can take time. Do not assume it is needed for every scheme and delay your application unnecessarily, but do not skip it where the scheme clearly asks for it, as a missing required document is a top rejection reason. Confirm whether your scheme requires a soil health card on your state agriculture or horticulture portal.