Industry chamber ASSOCHAM today called for evolving a soil fertility index for agro regions across the country to secure agriculture sector and avoid food grain supplies slipping into negative growth.
The demand for such index has been made in the context of sharp deterioration in soil fertility due to soil erosion, repeated cropping, and agro practices that deplete nitrogen and micro nutrients.
Satellite imagery show that soil degradation has become endemic in large tracts of land – especially along the Ganges agro belt. An index should be formed for specific regions or sub-divisions and updated regularly, said Mr D.S. Rawat, secretary general of The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
It will be critical to raise food grain production from the current level of 230 million tonnes as over 30 per cent of the output will be required to support the proposed food security entitlement which the government intends to legislate shortly.
With another 20 million tonnes required for buffer stocks, any fall in food grain output could jeopardise the implementation of a basic food grain basket for 70 per cent of the households. The demand is estimated to rise to 262 million tonnes by 2021.
Soil condition is the most critical factor in ensuring continued fertility of the farms. Mr Rawat said there are multiple nutrient deficiencies in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Gangetic belt produces 50 per cent of food grains and feeds 40 per cent of people in India. Virtually all parts of the country are affected by these deficiencies.
Nitrogen – the most important of nutrients – is deficient in half of Uttar Pradesh, parts of Punjab, all of Haryana, most of Bihar and parts of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.
In most states, said Mr Rawat, phosphorous deficiency is in the range of 20 per cent and micro nutrients like zinc, potassium, copper and sulphur are deficient in almost all soils. This may rise to an alarmist level and affect agricultural output.
He said large parts of the country are deficient in two or more critical nutrients. The situation is steadily worsening because the close relationship between farm animal and agriculture being replaced by modern farm practices where economic value rather than environmental concerns are determining factors in farm practices.
About 128 million hectares of cultivated area is also suffering from various degrees of water erosion which is due to lack of proper humus on top soil of the farms. Besides, there is wind erosion. Satellite imagery shows that as much as 25 per cent of the cultivable land – that is 81 million hectares – is facing desertification due to top soil being lost to water and wind and other erosion.
“Some 100 million hectares or 70 per cent of the farmland is heading towards a situation where it will not be able to support economic cultivation. This does not provide any comfort for our future,” said Mr Rawat.
The predominance of small and marginal farmers in rural areas means that even farmyard manure available at the doorstep of a farmer is often sold for meeting cash requirements rather than returned to the soil.
Though the government has introduced nutrient based subsidy for use of fertilisers, it is not certain that farmers are using the right amount of nutrients on their soil. Nutrient requirement also differs from crop to crop.