ICAR Study Highlights Benefits of Integrated Nutrient Management for Soil Health

ICAR also provided insights into nitrogen use efficiency, noting that it ranges between 30-50% depending on soil type and crop.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has revealed significant findings from its long-term fertilizer experiment conducted in Ludhiana. The study indicates that integrated nutrient management practices are effective in maintaining soil fertility, including organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, while improving biological activity. In contrast, the imbalanced use of chemical fertilizers has been shown to decrease soil fertility.

Specifically, research on the rice-wheat system in Punjab, which spanned 30 years, demonstrated no adverse effects on soil organic carbon, available nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) when integrated nutrient management practices were used. This underscores that fertilizers do not harm soil fertility when applied in a balanced and judicious manner. However, soil fertility can be compromised due to the imbalanced use of chemical fertilizers combined with insufficient organic manure.

ICAR also provided insights into nitrogen use efficiency, noting that it ranges between 30-50% depending on soil type and crop. The remaining nitrogen is lost primarily through nitrate leaching, which can lead to groundwater contamination if nitrate levels exceed permissible limits (10 mg NO3-N/L).

To address these issues, ICAR recommends adopting soil test-based balanced and integrated nutrient management practices. This includes the combined use of inorganic and organic sources such as compost, bio-fertilizers, and green manure. Additionally, practices like split application and placement of nitrogenous fertilizers, use of slow-release N-fertilizers, nitrification inhibitors, and neem-coated urea are advised to minimize nutrient loss.

The Indian Government supports these practices through dedicated schemes promoting organic farming, such as the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and the Mission Organic Value Chain Development in the North East Region (MOVCDNER). Since 2015-16, these schemes have encouraged farmers to adopt organic cultivation by providing comprehensive support from production to marketing. Farmers receive a subsidy of ₹15,000 per hectare over three years under both schemes for various organic inputs, including bio-fertilizers and organic manure.

Additionally, the Government has approved Market Development Assistance (MDA) of ₹1,500 per metric ton to promote organic fertilizers produced under the GOBARdhan initiative. This initiative, which supports various biogas/CBG programs, has a total outlay of ₹1,451.84 crore for FY 2023-24 to 2025-26, including a ₹360 crore allocation for research gap funding.

The PM-PRANAM initiative further complements these efforts by encouraging sustainable and balanced fertilizer use, promoting alternate fertilizers, and supporting organic and natural farming practices.

This information was provided by Smt. Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, in a response to a question in Lok Sabha.