In the quest of achieving self-sufficiency in food grain production, most of the governments in developing countries, particularly in South Asia, are making available nitrogen fertilizers like urea at a highly subsidized price. As a result farmers, in general, have developed a tendency to apply fertilizer nitrogen crops in excess of general recommendations. It is leading to lowering of fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency in cereal crop production. Although in the last two decades several options have been provided to farmers for applying fertilizer nitrogen as per need of the crop, very little success has been achieved in increasing the nitrogen use efficiency. How do you consider the role of heavy subsidy on nitrogen fertilizers in dealing with the issue of fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency?
The increase in efficiency of nitrogen fertilizers does not come only through increasing the amount of added fertilizers, it may be through split of the application of fertilizers or the coating of fertilizers or the date of addition
The farmers' culture should be increased about the optimal use of fertilizers and the continuity of production, because nitrogenous fertilizers affect soil health.
I think so. Many of technology related to increase nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency is not accepted to the farmers field.
Some time misuse of facilities given by any government, and it is true the demand and supply related to the product cost. This has led to excessive use of urea in agriculture over the other chemical fertilisers. The excessive use of fertilizers may adverse effect and also, nitrogen pollution of surface and groundwater due to excessive fertilizer use has reached alarming levels in several countries. subsidisation in the overall policy environment impinging on the growth and development of the fertilizer industry as well as well of agriculture, the need for streamlining these policies has been felt for a long time.
Efforts must be made to promote the use of organic manure, bio-fertilisers and city compost. One way of doing this is to assess the sector not in terms of the volume of fertilisers it produces but by analysing the improved soil health and better yield. As bio- fertilisers, organic manure and city compost come with a much lower environmental footprint than synthetic fertilisers, their use must be promoted through suitable policies
The increase in efficiency of nitrogen fertilizers does not come only through increasing the amount of added fertilizers, it may be through split of the application of fertilizers or the coating of fertilizers or the date of addition
The farmers' culture should be increased about the optimal use of fertilizers and the continuity of production, because nitrogenous fertilizers affect soil health.
Typically farmers in developing countries are concerning in obtaining high yields, regardless efficiency of the inputs - especially if they are cheap - or the environment. Most of developing countries have long adopted subsidizing nitrogen fertilizers for farmers in the direction of maximizing productivity and closing the food gap. That is why farmers accustomed to add much greater quantities than the actual need for the crop to ensure high yields, regardless of the efficiency. The result is nitrogen fertilizers use efficiency in developing countries nowadays is the lowest in the world, with the consequent economic and environmental burden. While there are a number of alternative strategies to increase nitrogen use efficiency in developing countries, farmers still do not adopt them on a large scale.
In my opinion, the governments of developing countries should shift the policy from subsidizing nitrogen fertilizers, and most other inputs, to subsidizing the agricultural product itself. This would eliminate the black market of fertilizers as well as prompt farmers to improve input use efficiency and adopt strategies that increase their profitability.
One of the reason is the subsidy. Another reason is 90 % nitrogenous fertiliser produced in India is Urea
High solubility of urea in soil solution is the another reason for the reduced efficiency in soil
Over-application of fertilizer N seems to be an unrealistic scenario for most of the farmers. But when fertilizer N is highly subsidized as in India and several other developing countries, farmers - particularly smallholders develop a tendency to
use more non-fixed inputs like N fertilizers than expensive fixed inputs such as machinery, to maximize production. This tendency definitely leads to low fertilizer N use efficiency. It seems that subsidy on nitrogen fertilizers should be reduced gradually but farmers need to be compensated by the increased price of their produce.
Reduction in subsidy by the Government is not the solution to excess application of N fertilizer. It will compound the problem of the poor resource farmers. Let the Agricultural Extension Officers gear up their teachings on the correct use of fertilizers. Let them make soil test or analysis their priority before fertilizer application. Government should establish soil laboratory accessible to farmers.
Yes, it is true that there is over application of fertilizer in Asia and Africa due to heavy subsidy. Soils are generally deficient in N and application of N fartilizers provides visible effects (greenness and more foliage) after a short period. Also yield improvement is there. This is short term measure for achieving self sufficiency in food grain production. Over application is deteriorating soil health and there is loss of chemical fertilizers (reactive N to the environment). Proper method of application such as placement, proper time of application and proper weed and water management should be encouraged to achieve higher N use efficiency. This can be achieved by reducing the subsidy amount on chemical fertilizers and by providing subsidy on use of Sesbania green manure,compost and similar organic source of plant nutrition.
To my mind, subsidy on nitrogen fertilizer should be reduced gradually and may be completely stopped after some years BUT it should be accompanied by a mechanism that farmers are compensated to the same extent as the cost of production of the crop increases due to reduced subsidy. This way, farmers will start having a feel of the cost of nitrogen fertilizers and will themselves come forward to learn efficient fertilizer nitrogen management practices.
Yes Sir. I fully agree with your view point. We should know that the manufacture of chemical fertilizer is costly. It requires fossil fuels and other forms of energy for manufacture. Over use of N fertilizers release reactive N to the environment and harms us. Our mind set for proper N mananagement will change, if it is purchased on actual cost basis.
Simultaneously, subsidy may be given to poor farmers only for the practice of adopting organic nutrient management. This will help in checking foreign exchange loss and for better environment.
A research team from the Genetic Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has uncovered the function of a new pathway for nitrogen fertilizer vectors in the rice plant, which could help better absorb fertilizers, accelerate growth, and boost yield.
According to the study, published in the journal "Plant Cell", the vector known as OsNRT1.1A facilitates the uptake of nitrogen fertilizers, enhances the transport process, senses nitrogen levels in the plant, and stimulates its genes to utilize them optimally.
The nitrogen element is one of the most important factors affecting plant growth. Plants depend on the percentage of nitrogen present in the soil to grow, so farmers add nitrogen fertilizers to improve the amount of grain produced per acre.
However, the use of fertilizers causes the pollution of water and air, and misuse of them can poison the growing plants.
Plants absorb nutrients through their roots scattered in the soil, these roots transfer the elements to the rest of the plant parts, and in the case of nitrogen element, the plant uses nitrate vectors to distribute them to the main parts of the plant.
According to the study, the main cereal crops benefit from only about 40% of nitrogen fertilizers, while the rest is lost to air and water, or absorbed by microorganisms in the soil.
Although nitrogen is an important and vital component of the plant, the use of nitrogen fertilizers causes a number of undesirable side effects, such as delayed harvesting and flowering, which makes the plant vulnerable to weather factors that may impair the growth of grains.
Traits that increase the amount of grain produced by plants, or accelerate the rate of crop growth, improve yields, and increase the chances of cultivation more than once, which called the Chinese research team to study the nitrate vectors in plants; To improve its growth and accelerate its ripening.
The researchers identified the carrier known as OsNRT1.1A as one of the most important factors affecting nitrogen uptake.
The study, which went on for a full 8 years, says that crops modified to have higher percentages of that vector produced more grains, were greener and had longer stems compared to other crops that fed the same amount of nitrogen fertilizer.
The study showed that the rate of improvement in yield reached 60% in fields with high levels of nitrogen fertilization. They also bloomed two weeks before the unmodified plants.
The world consumes about 120 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer every year.
The lead researcher in the study, Chenghai Zhou, said in exclusive statements to "Science" that the research paper represents a possible step for plants to produce more grains per square meter of fields.
The researcher indicates that the research was carried out exclusively on rice plants, as experiments were conducted on that plant in different fields within changing climates. To ensure the sustainability of the crop and its ability to produce continuous yields in good quantities.
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