Localized and micro-dose fertilizer management is a practical approach for increasing crop yields and fertilizer use efficiency with minimal fertilizer inputs.

In upland crops, we place a small amount of nutrients, e.g., a bottle capful or three-finger pinch of fertilizer, in the planting hole and in a band close to the planting area instead of broadcasting fertilizers. Recently, we introduced the P-dipping technique (dipping rice seedlings in P-enriched soil slurry before transplanting) in lowland transplanted rice under the FY VARY project in the highlands of Madagascar. This technique enhances early rice growth, improves grain yield and phosphorus fertilizer use efficiency, and avoids late-season abiotic stresses. Currently, the practice is being disseminated to hundreds of farmers’ fields to ensure sustainable rice production and improve the livelihood of farmers in SSA. Therefore, we can share our knowledge and provide more information on it.

Thank you Aung Zaw Oo for this delightful dipping technique in P-enriched soil slurry, regarding sustainable rice production

Use the biofrrtilizers or organic fertilizers

The use of chemical (synthetic)   fertilizer is a standard practice in modern -day high input agriculture. Such   inputs without doubt boosted food production to meet the growing demand of an   increasing world population and ward off large sale-starvation. While various studies establish the fact that judicious use of synthetic inputs is acceptable, its adverse effects, in the long run, can’t be denied, the key one being the imbalance of the soil ecosystem, which can reduce yield and, in turn, increase the use of chemical inputs, resulting in a vicious cycle.

In recent years, the growing adoption of organic farming has resulted in a more sustainable approach towards agriculture as it emphasises on adopting environmentally benign practices to ensure food security while protecting and nurturing soil biodiversity. Stakeholders are adopting various strategies to make organic and sustainable agriculture mainstream; one of the key ones being the use of bio-based fertilizers or bio-fertilizers to provide optimum nutrients to crop and enhance soil potency.

Integrated nutrient management is the best way of practice which brings sustainable crop production. Without compromising in yield. We can reduce the use of chemical fertilizer through the adoption and use of those best agricultural practices like integrated organic and inorganic nutrient sources, legume-based cropping sequences, and crop rotation, conservation agriculture, etc...

For sustainable crop production, it's better to recommend smallholder farmers to use Compost and Manure. Since the price of chemical fertilizer is beyond the potential of farmers. Specifically, farmers in Ethiopia were faced with this burden.

I'm agree with Jhonson Raju Sankati since the best way to conserve the plant productivity , increase fertilizers use efficiency and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers is the use of integrated nutrient management throughout the integrated among that is the organic and inorganic nutrient in addition we can applied agricultural rotation system in order to not only conserve but increase soil fertility

Crop rotation with legumes, plus addition of crop/animal compost.

The idea of Bio fertilisers is cheaper and with no side effects to the soil and other living things. Growing the high yielding varieties, following appropriate cultural practices with rotation, composting, spreading FYM and BYM, and Liquid manure will make the soil healthy. Healthy soil gives healthy life to all living things. We must also remember to conserve water and use it efficiently.

Thank you Eshetu Wondimagegne Anthony Meli Talaat Sebai Habtamu Rufe Jhonson Raju Sankati for the very valid points raised.

This is helpful and interesting:

“Membership in agriculture cooperatives, subsidies on organic fertilizers, and farm size play positive roles in influencing farmers' choice of organic fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers”

Please see: Article What could promote farmers to replace chemical fertilizers w...

Thank you @ Ajay Neeruj for your contributions

Dear Navindra Boodia . See the following useful RG links: Chapter Nano-Fertilizers for Sustainable Crop Production under Chang...

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/795/1/012038/pdf

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/8/858/pdf

Kindly see also the following useful RG links: Article Reduced Chemical Fertilizer Combined With Bio-Organic Fertil...

Also check please the following useful links: https://academic.oup.com/ijlct/article/16/2/351/5907667

https://www.conservationevidence.com/actions/139

https://osf.io/preprints/inarxiv/as6g2/download

https://ijaedr.ut.ac.ir/article_72897.html?lang=en

The following links are also very useful: http://aoatools.aua.gr/pilotec/files/bibliography/fertilisers_ghosh-1941095680/fertilisers_ghosh.pdf

https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=85548

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/268085799.pdf

With the potato crop consider varieties with different crop determinacy as this can reduce the N requirements. Managing seed age and planting density can help ensure the crop meets end market specifications. see https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/rb209-2021-section-5-potatoes

Use of organic fertilizers, whether animal or vegetable

The best alternative to chemical fertilizers and does not leave negative effects on the growth and yield of plants is bio-fertilizers like (Pseudomonas fluorescens, Azospirillum brasilense… etc.)

Navindra Boodia I am working on using non-thermal plasma to generate nitrate using only air and solar power. We have a proprietary process that ionizes the air which we capture by bubbling it through water. Our mission is to eliminate synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. We are proponents of regenerative farming but understand that additional nitrogen is required to enhance yield, but since contains no salts and provides nitrogen to the plants in the form they prefer we have increased availability, use less product, and do not degrade the soil, and obtain the same results.

I would be happy to discuss our technology. It is not ready for prime time so I am afraid we cannot solve the problem today but we are working on it and are looking to people to help us bring with research on the application protocols.

I look forward to talking with anyone that wants to listen.

Hope all is well and stay safe

Dear Mr. Navindra Boodia, I have a garden in Sari, Mazandaran, Iran, where I have not used chemical fertilizers or chemical pesticides for about 40 years. My garden is completely natural, economical and resistant to diseases and pests.

Respected Navindra Boodia Sir,

Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) can effectively reduce the use of chemical fertilizers with sustainable crop production. Cultural practices like crop rotation, intercropping, green manuring, mix farming, integrated approach of chemical and organic farming can be done to decrease the chemical load of an ecosystem which ultimately leads to higher organic matter and organic carbon (OC) accumulation that eventually increases crop productivity without deteriorating the soil quality. Application of nano fertilizers and use of fertigation instead of the conventional method of fertilizers application can significantly improve fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) along with economic crop production.

recomendar el uso de materia organica reciclada malezas y otros residuos vegetales al igual el uso del acido urico

Navindra Boodia

Use of sustainable organic wastes is the appropriate solution.

The farmer has various options. 1) Adopt good agricultural practices 2) Use of improved farrow system iii) organic farming iv) preparation and use of manures (farmyard, compost, green, liquid, etc ).

Capacity building is one approach that can be used to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. Capacity building should start with the policy makers down to the lowest level such as extension officers. The staff propelling agriculture development need to understand before this is cascaded to the users - the farmers.

The capacity building can be in green manuring, crop rotations between legumes and cereals, use of locally available resources such as cattle manure among others.

Agroforestry, mulching, inter cropping, crop rotation, organic farming are management strategies to reduce chemical fertilizers usage. Using compost, green manure crop and cow dung.

Use the biofrrtilizers

Improve the availability of natural resources like FYM, Compost, poultry manure and others manure. Provide natural things which is essential for soil in bulk because unavailability of natural resources improve the farmers interest to inorganic to provide nutrients to crop.

Options such as 1) adoption of conservation agriculture 2) use of biofertilizers 3) Integrated farming 4) Sustainable Land Management to minimize nutrient loss

In real sense, use of Synthetic chemical fertilizers can be reduced to a greater extent by 50 % or more than that by using viable options like integrated nutrient management whereby we have to integrate any of the organic manures viz. FYM, vermicompost, poultry manures, or any other compost with chemical fertilizers either simple or compound or mixed fertilizers so as to ensure quick release of essential nutrients for plant use..by this 50% quantity of chemical fertilizers will be substituted by organic ammendment..Alone application of synthetic chemical fertilizers may release nutrients quickly but it's hazardous for ecology, and other related problems while alone application of organic manures (usually bulk as contain very less concentration of nutrients) may not give good response in order to satisfy plant nutritional requirements because of slow response... integration of these two is viable one, by which one can supplement considerable amount of chemical fertilizers by practising it for 3-5 years in a field... another practices may be green manuring, mulching, inclusion of legumes in the cropping systems, use of cover crop... Another important aspects may be management of spatial and temporal variability in order to satisfy 3 R principles for efficient nutrient management...by this, farmers may avoid blanket application of chemical fertilizers rather using it in appropriate quantity based on soil test values or other precision agriculture technology..

By using biofrrtilizers

we can use organic fertilizer and manure

First, I am a fan of all types of alternative fertilizers to synthetic fertilizers. We will need them all to combat the use of synthetic fertilizers the same way we have many types of renewable energy to combat fossil fuels. It will also take a combination of different solutions depending on the crop being grown, the location of the crop, the weather conditions, etc. At NTP Technologies we are producing onsite on-demand nitrates by ionizing the air and dissolving them in water for distribution. This eliminates the dependency on outside fertilizers and the need for transportation and storage ($$$). You make the nitrogen necessary for the crop at its particular stage of growth onsite. We are just another tool for the farmer to become sustainable. Please follow us on LinkedIn and let me know if you have any questions.

yes, high fertilizer doses destroy soil as well as human health. furthermore, it resulted in high cost of cultivation. the best alternative is to do integrated nutrient management which includes organic manures, biofertilizers, green manuring etc along with chemical fertilizers.

Through the use of organic fertilization, bio-fertilization and compost

Applying bio-fertilizers and manures can reduce chemical fertilizer and pesticide use. Biological methods of pest control can also reduce the use of pesticides and thereby minimize soil pollution and adopt agro forestry, mulching, intercropping, crop rotation, organic farming are management strategies to reduce chemical fertilizers usage. On the one hand, technical solutions can be used to reduce chemical fertilizer use, including soil testing and fertilizer application, controlled-release fertilizers, organic–inorganic compound fertilizers, organic fertilizers, and recycled agriculture. It is high time that everyone realizes the detrimental effects of using excess chemical fertilizers and take steps to minimize the usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides by substituting other organic modifications such as organic manures that not only provide plants with essential nutrients

Integrated nutrient management, use of GMCC, crop residues, crop rotation, biofertilizers, organic manures wherever possible, and conservation agriculture

Think of Trees, particularly NFTs.

Use of vermicompost, compost, green manure, biofertilizers, etc

The older style of crop cycle farming using a legume and animal manure that can now be further complemented by compost can form the basis on which the various positive recommendations made can be added to.

Yes, three basic practices to reduce synthetic fertilizer use to consider: perennial pasture and crops, cover crops in rotation for annual crops, and good grazing management for livestock producers. These practices build soil carbon, which is the key to fostering soil health and plant fertility. In addition, split application and placement of fertilizers, use of slow releasing N-fertilizers and nitrification inhibitors, growing leguminous crops and use of resource conservation technologies are also advocated. Nowadays, using compost as a substitute to chemical fertilizer has become a global consensus. The application of compost could promote soil productivity and improve the crop quantity and quality, as well as increase the income of the farmers. Keys to reducing the environmental impact of chemical fertilizers include decarbonization of the production process and prevention of environmental runoff during use.

Anthony Meli Navindra Boodia Minyahil Kebede Earecho Shrawan Kumar Sah Mahdi S. Jaafar

I hope that our following research articles would provide a novel outcome aligning with the contents of this discussion:

Article Feasibility study for estimating optimal substrate parameter...

Article Green roof substrates—A literature review

The use of chemical fertilizers can be reduced by applying organic fertilizers and bio-fertilizers to the soil