Showing posts with label Fertilizer. Show all posts
Organic Fertilizer Mix Recipe
Posted by Unknown in Fertilizer, Organic Farming, Recipe on Monday, 13 May 2013
I learned about
this mix from an article in Mother Earth News. This article was titled:
"A Better Way to Fertilize Your Garden" by Steve Solomon. This is the
recipe:
- 4 parts cotton seed meal
- ¼ part agriculture lime, finely ground
- ¼ part gypsum
- ½ part dolomitic lime
- 1 part bone meal
- ½ part kelp meal
Mix these
thoroughly. You can obtain these at your local farm or feed store. In
Portland, I can get all these items at Portland Concentrates. Use 4
quarts mixture per 100 square feet.
Special Fertilizer Ups Tobacco Yield
Posted by Unknown in Fertilizer, Philippines, Tobacco on Sunday, 12 May 2013
By: Zac B. SarianManila Bulletin
 |
| THE BIG DIFFERENCE — Photo shows the big difference between the Burley tobacco (left) sprayed with Power Grower Combo and the unsprayed plants at right. Power Grower Combo is a special fertilizer formulation by Alfonso G. Puyat which results in very fast growth of the plants when it is sprayed on the leaves. The sprayed tobacco grew to about six feet compared to less than four feet for most of the unsprayed tobacco plants. The leaves of the sprayed plants are bigger and more numerous than the unsprayed ones. The sprayed plants are owned by Frederick Pinpinio (right) of San Miguel, Balungao, Pangasinan, who is shown here talking to visitors Fernando Gabuyo and Oftoficiano Manalo. |
A special
fertilizer that has been proven to more than double the yield of
sugarcane and fruit trees also does wonders on Burley tobacco. This is
the Power Grower Combo, a plant growth promotant formulated by Alfonso
G. Puyat.
Earlier, the
special fertilizer formulation doubled the yield of sugarcane in the
farm of Mauro Merculio in Victoria, Tarlac. This time, the trial in a
farmer’s farm in Balungao, Pangasinan, shows the yield of Burley tobacco
could be more than doubled with the Power Grower Combo.
Frederick
Pinpinio of San Miguel, Balungao, Pangasinan has a standing crop of
Burley tobacco on one hectare from which he has harvested two times as
of this writing. His tobacco plants that were sprayed just two times
with the Puyat growth enhancer have grown to about six feet tall whereas
the plants of the unsprayed adjacent field were mostly four feet or
less in height.
The sprayed
plants produced much bigger and more numerous leaves. The leaves of the
sprayed plants were two feet long and one foot wide. On the other hand,
leaves of the unsprayed plants measured only 17 inches long and seven
inches wide. When the leaves were dried in the sun, as is the usual
practice in Burley tobacco, the dried leaf of the sprayed plant weighed
12 grams whereas the one of the unsprayed plant was 5.1 grams.
As per the estimate of Frederick, one plant could yield as much as one kilo of dried leaves.
He has planted
15,000 plants in the one hectare that he rented for P5,000 per planting
cycle. That means, he could harvest about 15 tons from one hectare. At
the usual price last year of P70 per kilo, the 15 tons could be worth
more than one million pesos. Even if the yield is only ten tons, that
would still give the grower P700,000.
Compared to
corn, which is also a major crop in Pangasinan, tobacco requires more
labor to produce. The cost of production includes the cost of seedlings
which is supplied by the buyer of the cured leaves at 70 centavos per
seedling. The other costs are land preparation, fertilizer, daily
attention to the plants while they are growing to prevent insect
infestation, irrigation, cost of harvesting, sticking and drying. At any
rate, Burley tobacco is still profitable to grow.
According to
the National Tobacco Administration, Burley tobacco is being produced
largely in Pangasinan which accounts for 51 percent of local Burley
production. The other provinces growing Burley tobacco are Tarlac (16%),
Nueva Ecija and Mindoro.
The NTA adds that there are about 11,376 farmers involved in planting Burley tobacco on 7,198 hectares.
The good thing
about Burley tobacco is that unlike Virginia tobacco, it is not cured in
flue-curing barns. Burley is dried in the sun like the native tobacco.
Burley is a
light colored aromatic tobacco that is used in making cigarettes. About
75 percent of local production is used by local cigarette manufacturers.
The rest is exported to countries like the United States, Germany, Hong
Kong, Singapore, Russia and Japan.
Agri Plain TalkZac B. SarianA veteran agriculture journalist who also runs a one-hectare nursery of exotic fruit trees. I am currently the Agriculture Editor of Manila Bulletin, a 113-year-old daily newspaper. My agriculture page appears every Thursday and Saturday where I write my Agri Plain Talk column. This twice weekly column has been running for more than 21 years now.
Best Fertilizer Quote
Posted by Unknown in Farmer's Lifestyle, Fertilizer, Poster, Wisdom on Wednesday, 8 May 2013
The farmer's eye is the best fertilizer
From Waste To Energy
Posted by Unknown in Bio Gas, Fertilizer, Manure and Compost, Pakistan, waste management on Saturday, 23 March 2013
By Tahir Ali
Despite huge potential and benefits, biogas technology has not been given due attention in Pakistan. With inflation, energy shortage aggravating with each passing day, there is a renewed interest in the technology as this type of gas can be used both for cooking and power generation and its residue as fertilizer and it can also decrease domestic fuel budget, deforestation and pressure on national power grid. It can also contribute towards sustenance of ecosystem and conservation of biodiversity in the country.
Over 4000 biogas plants were installed in Pakistan by the government between 1974 and 1987. But later, it withdrew the financial support which reduced the growth rate of this technology. Only 6,000 plants were installed till 2006. But the potential is even bigger.
There are currently around 47 million big animals in Pakistan. A medium size animal produces around 10 kg of dung per day. Even if its 50 percent is collected, the availability of dung comes to 233 million kg a day that can produce around 12 million cubic meters of biogas a day. Estimates say since 0.4m gas could suffice the cooking needs of a million Pakistanis, the fuel requirement of over 20 percent of them could be met only from biogas. It will also produce 19 million tons of bio-fertilizer per year, which can boost agricultural productivity.
Biogas plants are popular in Pakistan’s neighbourhood and even developed countries. There are almost two million bio-gas plants in India and the facilities have been built even in UK and US through official patronage. Around 89 such plants in the US are consuming 13 per cent or 95000 tons of waste to produce about 2500 mega watt of electricity that suffices for 2.3mn households.
In Nepal, where around 80 percent of the population lives in rural areas with no electricity, over the past 20 years, the biogas sector partnership, an NGO, has installed around 210,000 biogas plants to provide biogas for cooking and lighting. Each plant is estimated to have reduced Nepal’s carbon emissions by around 4.7 tonnes a year.
According to a United Nations report, cattle are responsible for 18 percent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming — more than cars, planes, and all other forms of transportation put together. Their environmental impact could be minimised by converting their manure into a renewable source of energy.
The environmental protection agency (EPA) estimates that cattle emit about 5.5 million metric tons of powerful greenhouse gas, methane, per year into the atmosphere. The University of Texas, Austin, estimates that by using around one billion tonnes of manure produced annually in the United States for power/gas generation could also help eliminate 99 million tonnes of net greenhouse gas emissions there.
As per Pakistan Centre for Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) report, a family size biogas plant annually produces energy equivalent to 10056Kg wood, 22200 Kg animal dung, 1104 lit kerosene oil, 540 kg L.P.G or 9000 Kwh of electricity.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa too, despite having one million camels, 6mn cattle, 2mn buffaloes and over 12mn sheep and goats, has failed to utilise the waste of these animals for launching of bio gas plants on a big scale.
In the cattle breeding and dairy farm in Charsadda, a bio gas plant has been in operation but the innovative technology has not been disseminated on a mass scale in the province.
Under the project “development and promotion of biogas technology for meeting domestic fuel needs of rural areas and production of bio-fertilizer”, PCRET plans to install 368 biogas plants in rural areas of the country by June this year.
The government of Italy in November last year decided to provide Rs50 million to set up 436 biogas plants in six districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Abbottabad, Haripur and Mansehra.
Launched in 2008 with a target of 2500 such plants, PCRET has already installed over 2100 family size biogas plants in different parts of the country.
Earlier, based on a feasibility study, a programme implementation plan for domestic biogas of Pakistan was finalised with the support of rural support programmes network, NGOs and farmers’ organisations and is implemented by Pakistan biogas development enterprise. The construction of 30,000 biogas installations in 4 years will be supported in four provinces, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with a total investment of Rs2.7bn. Rs244mn would be disbursed as investment rebate support to the households who spend on the technology.
However, the potential is too enormous to be satisfied with this number. Animal waste is usually wasted. In Landhi Karachi alone, around 0.35mn cattle-heads are kept in a 3km area that produce thousands of tons of waste but 80-90 of it is thrown in the sea. A Canadian firm Highmark Renewables with the help of KESC plans to establish world’s biggest biogas plant at a cost of around $70 million that would produce up to 30 mega watt of power and 400 tons of residue bio fertiliser.
Some more facts
Any farmer having at least three animals can establish this plant with a one-time investment of Rs40,000 to 50,000
Gas produced in a small bio-digester which contains about 20 kg of dung should be enough to meet the fuel requirement of a small family. Based on these calculations, a bio-digester for any number of animals can be designed. However, the plant must be water/gas-tight. Enough manure and water must be added to it every day.
Firewood, dung and crop residues are major sources of energy for rural and low-income urban households. In 1992, firewood provided fuel to about 60 percent of rural and low income families followed by dung in dry form at around 18pc.
Only 4pc of Pakistan’s total area is covered by forest with only 5pc area protected. To control deforestation, adoption of biogas is the best technology and option in Pakistan.
It seems strange as to why biogas plants have not been installed to reduce the speed and scale of deforestation, especially in the forest-rich Malakand and Hazara divisions.
Around 70 percent population in KP lives in the rural areas. Most farmers have two or more cattle whose dung mixed with an equal proportion of water can be used to produce biogas. Any farmer having at least three animals can establish this plant with a one-time investment of Rs40,000 to 50,000.
If individual farmers are not ready or cannot afford the expenses, a few families with domestic animals could jointly install such a plant in their neighbourhood. And by selling the gas to families that cannot contribute manure daily for having no animals, the maintenance expenditure, if any, could be financed with this money.
The government needs to give more attention and funds to spread this technology to the countryside. Media should also create awareness among the rural community and NGOs and foreign investors should be encouraged to spread it.
A typical biogas plant consists of a digester where the anaerobic fermentation takes place, a gasholder for collecting the biogas, the input-output units for feeding the influent and storing the effluent respectively, and a gas distribution system.
Problematic Artificial Fertilizers
Posted by Unknown in Fertilizer, Soil Issue on Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Artificial fertilizer by
definition are any inorganic material of synthetic origin that is added
to the soil to supply one or more plant nutrient essential to the
growth of plants. Most artificial fertilisers principally contain large
helpings of nitrogen and phosphorus.
After
all the above fact, it’s hard to see why, then, have these fertilisers
been alarmingly tagged as a ‘plague’. The article tries to explain
exactly that, and leaves the decision to the reader.
Artificial
fertilisers are prepared in large factories like any other commercial
scale product. The source of nitrogen being the atmosphere and that of
phosphorous are mineral rocks. So the inert nitrogen floating about in
air is very conveniently caught, converted to nitrates and locked into
these fertilisers. These are then fed to the plants via absorption
through their roots from soil. The case with phosphorous is different
and the mineral rocks containing phosphorous are the source. The element
has to be extracted from them and converted to phosphates. These
phosphates are present in fertilisers which are applied to the soil.
The
problem with the use of these fertilisers sprouts from the fact that in
our conventional agricultural practices they follow a linear path
instead of a cycle like in nature and this linear path leads to large
scale losses of these nutrients. Now the question arises where exactly
these nutrients are lost to? The answer is a cliché; the ‘environment’.
These
fertilisers are applied in excess to the soil, only a part of them is
taken up by the plants and the rest simply rests in the soil. When water
is applied for irrigation or whenever it rains, these nitrates and
phosphates seep into the ground and many travel as deep as to
contaminate our aquifers. Hence our future reserves of naturally
protected water are no longer protected; they have been polluted and are
unfit for human consumption.
These
nitrates can even evaporate from the soil surface, get mixed with
moisture in atmosphere and form ammonia. Thus when it rains over such
agricultural lands, the rain is laden with ammonium ions which are
damaging to all life.
Furthermore
a large part of these nutrients find their way into the rivers and
lakes with the runoff water (the water flow that occurs when land is
infiltrated by water to full capacity and excess water flows over land).
A new problem starts when these fertilisers enter the water ecosystem.
The algae in the water bodies take up these nutrients and grow rapidly,
depriving other aquatic life of oxygen, sunlight and nutrients.
These
areas of accelerated algal growth are called algal blooms. To further
worsen the matter, these algae start to die because they have used up
all the nutrients and the water body gets loaded with decaying organic
matter. This condition is called Eutrophication (the addition of
artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates to an
aquatic system) and is a major cause of water quality deterioration in
surface waters.
Even
our precious estuaries, home to amazingly valuable species, are
endangered by these fertilisers which disturb the delicate balance of
these fresh water estuaries and cause loss of vulnerable species.
Apart
from the water problems, application of these fertilisers disrupts the
soil structure and renders the soil infertile after a period of some
years during which there are high crop yields. But this short-term
benefit should not make us go blind to the long-term loss in the form of
soil infertility and eventually desertification.
Hence
these outwardly friendly, yet notorious in actual, fertilisers pose a
threat to aquatic life and render fresh water resources useless to us.
Also the soil infertility problems are increased in the middle of the
global food crisis we are currently facing. We are encountering water
crisis and chemical fertilisers further plague this already scarce
resource.
As
mentioned earlier these nutrients are not recycled in conventional
agricultural practices and tax our limited nutrients bank. These
fertilisers are applied in such large quantities that the problem is
further amplified. For example the nitrogen fertilisers alone, support
one-third of the world’s population by increasing food production
(Wolfe, W. David. 2001)
This
problem of artificial fertilisers can be overcome by using more
environment- friendly organic fertilisers such as peat, manure and green
manure etc.
We
must wake up to these threats knocking at our doors and act now for
there isn’t much time to lose. The environment is our natural reservoir
of resources which not only provides for us but also fulfills our
aesthetic needs. We should avoid developing a parasite-host relationship
with it and practice symbiosis, “for what goes around, comes around”.
The Dawn
Advantages of compost in crops farming
Posted by Unknown in Fertilizer, Manure and Composting, Organic Farming on Monday, 10 September 2012
The use of inorganic fertilizer has considerably increased with the cultivation of exhaustive crops in the backdrop of green revolution. Despite that, hundred of thousand of cultivated fields have become unproductive due to depletion of nutrients essential for plant growth and development. Not to speak of macro-nutrient deficiency even micro nutrients has been reported in different fields of Punjab and Sindh.
Off-take of fertilizer has increased from 18.9 million nutrients in 1990-91 to 29.8 million nutrient tons in 2005-06 while cropped area has also been increased from 21 million hectares to 23 million hectares during the same period. Fertilizer requirements are met partly from domestic production and partly from imports. Though off-take of fertilizers is on increase yet domestic fertilizer production is on decline. Domestic production has decreased from 2.28 million nutrient tons in 2001-02 to 2.13 million nutrient tons in 2005-06. On the other, import has increased from 0.62 million nutrient tons to around one million nutrient tons during the same period.
With the increase in off-take of fertilizer, the crop productivity has also increased significantly but excessive use of fertilizer has augmented the cost of production and incidence of insect, pest and disease attacks. Excessive use of DAP is destroying the under soil of the farm land, increasing compaction of soils and enhancing level of acidity of cultivated soils. Moreover, fertilizer use efficiency is low in the backdrop of huge nutrient losses in the form of leaching, de-nitrification, volatilisation, immobilisation and fixation of nutrients with soil complex and hence contributing to soil, water and air pollution.
Therefore, it is appropriate to look forward to those techniques that on one hand add nutrients into soil and improve soil texture, structure, organic matter and water holding capacity on the other. To achieve the desired objectives, the agricultural scientists are pressing hard of switching to compost farming.
Application of compost is very useful as it utilizes the farm garbage and wastes in an effective way. Moreover, 100 kg compost contains 1.34 kg nitrogen, 1.3 kg phosphorous, 1.04kg potash and 0.89kg calcium respectively. Therefore, the growers should give due importance to the production and use of compost.
Preparation of compost is easier and raw material comes from agricultural farms not from the market. Different type of crop residues such as wheat straw, rice straw, leaves, cattle dung & urine, and other household garbage could be effectively used for preparing compost. Simply, these are put into a trench with adequate moisture. Trench is 3-3.5 feet deep and length and width depends upon the availability of organic matter. A trench of 25 feet long, 3-3.5 feet deep and four feet wide is recommended for small farm containing 5-6 animals. However a trench 35-40 feet long, seven feet deep and 3-3.5 feet wide is recommended for big farms. The microbes like bacteria and fungi convert the organic matter into compost. The microbes utilize 10 parts carbon and only one part of nitrogen for their growth. However, action of fungi is more efficient than bacteria. In this process, gases like methane, ammonia, carbon dioxide hydrogen are produced that could be effectively utilized for energy purposes. Only draw back in producing compost is that it is slow process and completes in 3-5 months.
Size and mixing of crop residues also influence timing of compost formation. Microbes thrive better on particles having size 5cm or less. Maintaining the C:N ratio is crucial. It could be done by mixing legume crop residues, water hyacinth, butcher-house waste, sewerage sludge, biogas slurry. In the case of high C:N ratio, we can mix soil to produce a good compost. Best moisture for compost formation ranges between 50-60 per cent. High temperature is inevitable for the activity of the microbes because it kills disease causing micro-organisms and weed seeds. In case moisture is less than 40 per cent, the process of compost formation will be extremely slow. To speed up the process, it is important to invert the organic matter frequently.
Inoculation is important to enhance the activity of nitrogen-fixing fungi like penicellium and aspergillus and bacteria such as azotobactor. Inoculation is effective when temperature of the medium ranges between 30-35 centigrade. Inoculation is done to reduce the period of compost formation from 3-4 months to 4-6 weeks. This also enhances amount of nitrogen up to 10-30per cent.
Use of calcium phosphate reduces time of compost formation as well as enhances nitrogen uptake. During compost formation, it is essential to destroy the disease causing agents especially when sewerage sludge is mixed in the organic matter.
Well-pulverised compost adds more nutrients to the soil and within a short span of time. It improves soil texture, structure, oxygen diffusion ratio, pore space, water holding capacity and plant resistance against lodging and microbial activity.
Compost is suitable for all kinds of crops including cereals, vegetable, oilseeds, fruits and flowers. About 15-20 carts per acre in irrigated and 5-10 carts per acre in rain-fed areas are recommended. Compost enhances uptake of inorganic fertilizer by crop plants.
It is advisable for the farmers to assemble animal dung and wasted straw for compost preparation. Addition of compost into soil will cut the use of artificial fertilizer, conserve soil and water, improve physical health of soil, enhance fertilizer use efficiency, improve soil fertility and ultimately enhance crop yields.
The Dawn
Phosphorus Fertilizer can increase Wheat production (Urdu)
Posted by Unknown in Fertilizer, Urdu
فاسفورس کھاد کے استعمال سے گندم کی پیداوار میں اضافہ کیا جا سکتا ہے، ماہرین زراعت
فیصل آباد (اے پی پی) ایوب زرعی تحقیقاتی ادارہ فیصل آباد کے ماہرین زراعت نے کہا ہے کہ فاسفورس کھاد کے استعمال سے گندم کی فی ایکڑ پیداوار میں بھر پور اضافہ کیا جا سکتا ہے ۔ ماہرین زراعت نے بتایا کہ جن کاشتکاروں نے تاخیر سے گندم کاشت کی ہے اور انہوں نے فاسفورسی کھاد کا استعمال نہیں کیا یا ضرورت سے کم کھاد ڈالی ہے انہیں بھی چاہیے کہ وہ فوری طور پر پہلے پانی پر ڈی اے پی ڈال دیں۔
اگر کاشتکار اسے ڈرم میں گھول کر فرٹیلیشن کے طریقہ سے استعمال کریں تو پیداوار میں خاطر خواہ اضافہ ممکن ہوسکتا ہے۔
انہوں نے کہا کہ معمولی سی توجہ ، کھادوں کا متوازن استعمال ، جڑی بوٹیوں پر کنٹرول ، پیداوار کو 50فیصد بہتر بنانے میں معاون ہو سکتا ہے۔
Sustainable agriculture and fertilizer practices in Pakistan
Posted by Unknown in Fertilizer, Pakistan, Sustainable Agriculture on Sunday, 9 September 2012
Mohammad Ali Khaskheli
Agriculture Officer Sanghar
Agriculture is the mainstay of Pakistan’s economy. It has a total area of 79.61 million hectare, and the total area used for crop production is only 22 million ha. Of which about 18 million ha (80 percent) are irrigated. Pakistan agriculture accounts for 24 percent of the growth domestic product (GDP), employs 48 percent of the labour force and contributes about 60 percent to export earnings.
Pakistan is a developing country with the world's sixth-largest population. The current population of Pakistan is about 160 million, which is growing at the rate of almost two percent annually. The major population of the country (67 percent) lives in rural areas and depends mainly on agriculture, and about 32 percent of the population lives below the poverty level. GDP growth continues to depend on crop performance.
The total food production in Pakistan is about 25 million tones in 2002/03 as compared to 10 million tones in 1970/71. However it is interesting to state that the consumption of fertilizer per hectare in Pakistan (133 kg approx.) is higher than the world average (94.1 kg/ha) but yield productions are substantially lower. This indicates to a big gap between the supply and demand of agricultural products, which is widening day by day due to the increasing population of the country.
Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable productivity in our agricultural ecosystems is therefore an important objective. Sustainable agriculture depends on a whole-system approach whose overall goal is the continuing health of the land and people. Therefore it concentrates on long term solutions to problems instead of short term treatment of symptoms.
There are several important constraints to sustainable agriculture and causing low productivity. They include soil degradation (soil salinity, alkalinity, erosion and soil fertility depletion), depletion of water resources, mismanagement of irrigation systems, the distribution of the land holdings and poor farming practices.
The use of farm inputs, particularly of fertilizers, is inadequate and inefficient. Farm energy use is low. The availability of quality seed is limited. Agricultural research is lagging behind the new challenges. Agricultural extension services are not tuned to modern technology.
The flow of information from research to farmers is inadequate. Coordination between policy, research, extension and farmers could be improved. Disbursement of agricultural credit amounts to over Rs.50 billion per annum, but is less than the requirements and is not reaching small farmers.
An inadequate marketing infrastructure results in high marketing costs and losses. The fertilizer recommendations are too general. Soil testing laboratories are not adequately equipped in terms of manpower and equipment. As a result, the majority of the farmers become resource-poor and can not get benefit and therefore, our crop yields are one of the lowest in the world.
Declining land productivity with reduced crop yields has been also a major problem facing our farmers. The major factors contributing to the reduced land productivity is soil impoverishment caused by continuous cropping without addition of adequate mineral fertilizers and manures. Moreover, negative soil nutrient balances (nutrient removal exceeding nutrient application) during our cropping history have resulted in general deterioration of fertility levels. Sustained, high yield agricultural production can be assured once these negative balances are addressed. Crop fertilization is the main tool available.
Fertilizer has played a key role in helping farmers achieve their high level of production. Fertilizers provide essential plant nutrients which are indispensable for producing sufficient and healthy food for the world’s expanding population. Plant nutrients are therefore a vital component of any system of sustainable agriculture. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and in recent years, zinc, boron and sulfur are the nutrients of most concern in the grain-production regions. Unfortunately our soils are deficient in Nitrogen (100 %), Phosphorus (90%), Zinc (70%) and Boron (55%). Potassium (K) is generally adequate but its deficiency is emerging rapidly. Deficiencies and responses to other nutrients such as iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), and other micronutrients are reported for specific crops and areas. When the soil cannot supply the level of nutrient required for adequate growth, supplemental fertilizer applications become necessary.
Prior to the introduction of fertilizes in Pakistan in the early1950s, the use of fertilizers have increased significantly. Total consumption of nutrients in Pakistan has increased from 5 kg/ha in 1966-67 to 133 kg/ha in 2001-2002. However, it is still much lower when compared with other countries of the world and highly unbalanced to produce enough and quality food to meet the country demand. The crop yields in countries using higher fertilizer rates (e.g. Korea, Japan China, Egypt etc) are two to three times more than Pakistan.
One of the factors responsible for stagnating yields and decreasing fertilizer use efficiency is the current unbalanced fertilizer use. Nutrient balances for many cropping systems are negative. The nitrogen and phosphorus are the most limiting nutrients to crop production but their sufficient use by majority of the smallholder farmers become limiting due to their high costs. Indeed a substantial number of farmers do not use fertilizers and the ones who use fertilizers apply below the recommended rates.
In Pakistan various types of fertilizers are used, some are locally manufactured and others are imported. In our country, most of the fertilizer is used on irrigated wheat, cotton, sugarcane and rice crops. On these crops the nitrogen application rate is close to 75-80 percent of the recommendations, compared with about 20-40 percent, depending on the crop, in the case of phosphate. Hardly 1-2 percent of farmers apply potash; that is usually applied to fruit, vegetable, and sugarcane crops only. Micronutrient deficiencies are common but less than five percent of the farmers apply micronutrient fertilizers.
There are several problems which are impeding the balance and efficient use of fertilizers. These are commonly non-availability of specific fertilizers at right time, ever-increasing prices, improper application methods and time, lack of knowledge among farmers about the need for balanced fertilizer applications, adulteration and inadequate grant of soft loans especially for the small farmers, costituting 75 per cent of our farming community.
The increase of fertilizer use efficiency is also related to ensuring the fertilizer quality. At present, apart from some macro fertilizers produced industrially, there are several mixed macro and micronutrient fertilizers, foliar fertilizers, plant growth stimulants which are not controlled by the government. They are circulated with of fertilizer arbitration organizations, therefore the farmers are always suffering from losses once having bought the adulterated or low-quality fertilizers, and the legitimate fertilizer producers and traders suffer from losses and risks.
Balanced fertilization
Balanced fertilization is one of the most important tools to achieve maximum crop yield. Balanced fertilization can be defined as the rational use of fertilizers and manures for optimum supply of all essential nutrients for maximum crop yield which simultaneously ensures efficiency of fertilizer use promotes synergistic interactions and keeps antagonistic interactions out of the crop production system. Fertilizers are not cheap and therefore, it is essential that they should be efficiently and effectively used to produce maximum increase in crop yields so that farmers receive the best possible outputs from their expenses.
Balanced fertilization does not mean a certain definite proportion of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash or other nutrients to be added in the form of fertilizer, but it has to take into account the availability of nutrients already present in the soil, crop requirement and other factors. It should take into account the crop removal of nutrients, the economics of fertilizers and profitability, farmers’ ability to invest, agro-techniques, soil moisture regime, weed control, plant protection, seed rate, sowing time, soil salinity, alkalinity, physical environment, microbiological condition of the soil, cropping sequence, etc. It is not a state but a dynamic concept.
Balance fertilization is invariably the practice, which enable the farmers to approach practically realizable yield potentials in a cost effective and sustainable manner. Balanced fertilization enhances crop yield, crop quality and farm income; corrects soil nutrient deficiencies, and maintains soil fertility. Several field trials on balance fertilization have proved the yield improvement by 50-100 per cent.
According to a (NFDC; 1999) report, balanced use of fertilizers increased the yields of wheat by 77%, sugarcane 100%, rice 25-100% and cotton by 400%. To reap the benefits of balanced use of fertilizers, our farmers must implement the five key practices (a) apply only those nutrients that will result in economic yield increases (b) apply appropriate nutrient rates (c) apply appropriate sources of fertilizer nutrients (d) apply nutrients at appropriate timing (e) apply using the most effective and practical application techniques.
A balanced fertilization strategy is the only way to ensure a sustainable agriculture that can provide the world population with high quality food while minimizing the impact on the environment. All available knowledge about the crop and the environment where it will be grown must be combined to set up the right combination of nutrients to be applied at each step of the fertilization program.
Suggestions
Among the programs of Ministry of Agriculture, the program of agricultural extension on fertilizers is considered a central one aiming at increasing fertilizer use efficiency, crop yield and agricultural product quality, stabilizing and enhancing the soil fertility.
But unfortunately, due to different reasons, due attention was not paid to this program. However, the following suggestions would be fruitful in promoting the balance use and proper management of fertilizers and increasing crop yields and soil fertility.
• Setting up a united network of agricultural extension on fertilizers with the participation of research institutes, agricultural universities, scientific associations and non-governmental organizations, fertilizer producing and trading companies.
• Surveying the current status of fertilizer use of farmers in all key agricultural areas in the whole country. The surveyed data will be processed to find out the advantages and shortcoming in fertilizer use for some main crops.
• Surveying the current status and capacity of fertilizer supply and service of governmental organizations, collective and private organizations, evaluating the supply capacity and requirement of each fertilizer kind at localities according to short- term and medium -term plants.
• Setting up the network of stable and long-term field experiment on some soil types for some crops in all agro-ecological zones in the whole country in order to exactly assess the nutrient supplying capacity of soils, factors limiting the fertilizer use efficiency (soils, climate and weather, management level, intellectual standard of the people...), direct and residual efficiency of main fertilizer to serve as a basis for establishing the formulae of reasonable fertilization.
• Setting up a network of field experiments to assess the environmental impacts of fertilizers, especially the impacts of fertilizers on soil fertility and agricultural product quality, besides, through this research system identifying the relationship between fertilizers and IPM.
• Organizing the training courses to provide the local extension workers with new knowledge and update new knowledge for them.
• Organizing the training for farmers on the role of each nutrient, symptoms of nutrient shortage and method of reasonable and efficient fertilizer through the farmer’s field schools using the most simple and effective methods.
• Organizing the information and propaganda on fertilizer use guides as well as introduction of new fertilizer through mass-media.
• Printing the fertilizer use guides. In the short term, apart from specific information, a new issue of agricultural extension on fertilizers can be carried out at the periodical of Pakistan Soil Science Society or the periodical of Department of Agriculture extension.
• Working out the regulations on fertilizer quality control aiming at preparing the fertilizer legislation.
• Carrying out the activities of cooperation on agricultural extension on fertilizers with in-country and foreign organizations as well as testing the efficiency of new fertilizers manufactured by in-country as well as foreign companies.
• Establishing the technical support fund to help the enthusiastic farmers having difficulties to form the key farmer class at the grassroots units.
• Developing the long-term human resource development program to improve qualifications of researchers and extension workers to PhD level and also provide for short-term trainings to equip them with knowledge and skills in important areas. Besides, career structure and incentive framework may be introduced to reward quality research and extension work.
Expected Outputs/Benefits
• The farmers provided with basis knowledge of fertilizer: Kind, composition, properties, method of storage, fertilizer use guide (not only for agricultural crops but also for forest trees).
• Agricultural output increase due to increase in crop yield.
• Agricultural product value increase due to increase in quality.
• Fertilizer cost for a product unit reduced, hard foreign currencies economized due to reasonable fertilizer use.
• Balanced fertilization reduces the incidence of plant diseases, such as red-leaf stem blight in cotton as found in various provinces of China. Natural improvements in the plant's ability to resist disease infections result in less need for insecticides and fungicides, which lowers production costs for farmers and reduces chances for negative environmental impact.
• Environmental pollution protected due to decrease in gaseous nitrogen looses as well as nitrate loss by leaching.
• Soil fertility stabilized and enhanced.
In summary all embracing efforts should be made to educate farmers to practice balanced use of fertilizers. Of late, some fertilizer companies and associations have come forward to educate the villagers, publication of literature in regional languages related to balanced use of fertilizers for higher crop yields in a sustainable way. The actual time has come; the farmers, researchers and other related communities should come forward and act in this respect.
The chemical fertilizers are very expensive therefore, should be used judiciously and use manures along with chemical fertilizers for improving the crop yield and soil productivity in a sustainable way. Many more activities are being planned to promote the balanced use of fertilizers. And it is hoped that all these efforts would lead to desired awareness and as a result balanced fertilizer use would become a reality in near future.
