Lucknow, Nov. 4 -- Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chohan on Tuesday urged farmers to avoid excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, stressing the need to protect soil health through balanced nutrient management and natural farming. Addressing a farmers' meeting under the 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research here, he asked farmers to get their soil tested through Soil Health Cards and apply fertilisers according to actual requirements. The minister also announced that the Centre had approved 374 rural roads in Uttar Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana at a cost of Rs 544.62 crore. The Centre has also approved procurement of sesame and groundnut in the state, he said. Claiming that India had overtaken China to become the world's largest rice producer, the minister said the country was self-sufficient in foodgrains. He also urged farmers to adopt natural farming, crop diversification and integrated farming to make agriculture sustainable and profitable....