What could be reason that during last 2-3 decades a large number of researchers from South Asia and Africa have published on integrated management of organic and inorganic sources of plant nutrients? In contrast, not many studies on integrated nutrient management are available from other parts of the world.
I personally feel , the farmers of these regions believe more in traditional agriculture than conventional . This concept , despite the great promises, still beyond implemention in other parts of the world where agriculture is more mineral fertilezers-based but precision agriculture is more in practice in other than south asia and africa. But by no mean , INM is not a precision -based , its considered to be much nearer to climate resilient practice.
Possibly researchers have experienced a great benefit by using INM program in their soils that are not not very fertile.
I guess they are in a stage of trying to evaluate and adopt the best system for the process.
I personally feel , the farmers of these regions believe more in traditional agriculture than conventional . This concept , despite the great promises, still beyond implemention in other parts of the world where agriculture is more mineral fertilezers-based but precision agriculture is more in practice in other than south asia and africa. But by no mean , INM is not a precision -based , its considered to be much nearer to climate resilient practice.
I think the reason for this is due to several factors including: 1 - The agriculture in these areas was not dense, but the farmer was divided into two parts of land, one of them planted in this year and the second planted in the next year and therefore there was no depletion of nutrients in a dense manner. 2 - These communities did not have scientific knowledge of the importance of adding nutrients to the soil planted crops, and therefore there was no interest in research takes this into account. 3. The farmers in these areas did not believe what science was saying on this side, but were working in the traditional way that their parents used . 4. Following scientific progress in these communities, including agriculture field, the knowledge of the importance of these nutrients and the importance of adding them to compensate the soil for its loss of elements as a result of continuous agriculture has been developed. 5 - Due to the high economic returns for the cultivation and production of crops, farmers began using the intensive farming system and therefore increased the need to add nutrients to agricultural crops, which encouraged researchers to do a lot of research to show what nutrients should be added to the soil and how to identify the elements needed by the plant and add these elements to the soil or as foliar spray on the vegetative parts of the plants.
One important factor that comes to my mind is that due to very little organic matter content of the soils in South Asia and Africa farmers have a strong inclination towards returning organic matter to the soil via organic manures. And to achieve higher yields supported by increased supply of nutrients they depend upon inorganic fertilizers. In the last couple of decades, researchers are trying to convince both the farmers and planners that by using integrated nutrient management we can ensure both high yields and improved soil health. I believe, the issue of sustaining soil health is going to be one of the most important factor in favour of integrated nutrient management based on organic manures and mineral fertilizers
Only inorganic fertilizer is enough for maintaining short term yield. Only organic results in decreased yield for initial years. So, INM is useful for maintaining yield and improving soil health.
Can someone throw some lights , how popular is practicing of INM concept in developed countries. ...
Dr.Bijay Singh, good question but I one can not equate the research on the said topic in South Asia and Africa. Initial research on integrated use of fertilizers and manures started almost half a century back in India.Before the advent /start of green revolution the soil fertility research is centred around comparison of conventional organic manures and newly introduced fertilizers in terms of their effect on soil fertility (including any negative effects of fertilizers) and crop yields.The research on integrated use of fertilizers and manures started somewhere in early seventies.Initially the aim was to harness the benefits in terms of improving soil fertility/productivity and crop yield sustainability of both the organic manures and fertilizers.With increase in cost of fertilizers, the additional aim was to save on costs and also efficiently use the available organic source. Probably one can find research papers on complementary use of organic and inorganic sources from 1980 onwards in good numbers . Both fertilizers (in big way) and manures contributed to the success of green revolution in India in terms of resource use, save on costs and help sustain soil health and productivty.
There are some obvious reasons
1-in Africa, and Asia higher population demand higher production, so very high fertilizer rate, and low efficiency
2-low Soil organic carbon
3-Poor application methods
4-in those areas, only organic fertilization can not support intensive cropping system
5-Moreover, chemical fertilization is producing many problems for soil and environment
6-So, only choice is INM in this scenario.
INM research will surely help crop productivity while helping to retain soil health. In regions like south Asia where farmers and general public are subjected to various unsicientific myths around crop nutrition, scientists have a duty to appraise people about the role and significance of practices such as INM to avoid possible threat to food and nutritional security in future; albeit with appropriate policy supports, a case in point being NCU( neem coated urea).
As per my personal view, the soil in Asia and Africa is still among the most fertile soils in the world. Also there is a concern about protecting the natural fertility of the soil and as such a lot of research is being aimed at integrated nutrient management.
Organic carbon status of the soil is a major concern in fertilizer application so the yield respose to INM is more than fert alone. It is true for Punjab also the awareness regarding organic farming has created the thought of need based fertilizers as the production is increasing with the same onputs of fertilizers in ONM
Organic Carbon management in soil through application of organics and in-organics i.e. INM based interventions are the key options available for maintaining sustainable yields in many crops.
During last two to three decades in Asia and South Africa publications of international papers on integrated nutrients management in crop cultivated soil are maximum due to tropical and subtropical climate with intensive cropping loss of organic matter with essential plant nutriens are maximum compre to temperate climate of Europe and America. So, recycling of organic matter with application of secondary and micronutrients in specific crop growing soil situation like in submerged paddy cultivation get importance for balanced nutrition for plant.
To my mind, INM research in South Asia is still on the forefront because in almost all the publications originating from this region INM shows better yields than fertilizer alone treatment. Secondly, the traditional wisdom of the farmers in this region regarding value of organic manure is still very much prevalent and they try to use as much organic manure as possible along with mineral fertilizers. Thirdly, both farmers and researchers are of the view that use of organic manures, may be in small quantity and along with mineral fertilizers leads to better soil health. A large number of research papers on INM prove these facts.
In Africa, it is a different story as very well pointed out by Annangi Subba Rao . They have very poor fertility soils ..with little organic matter. And unfortunately, the farmers in Africa, particularly in 12 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, are not left with enough organic material for farm use after feeding their cattle. Because farmers are poor, they cannot afford fertilizers as well. Thus, hardly any option is left except to apply both organic amendments and whatever amount of fertilizer they can afford to keep the soils sustain farming activities. Definitely, nature of INM as practised in South Asia and Africa is entirely different.
In tropical to subtropical climate compare to temperate climate of the world loss of organic matter as cabondioxid through enzymatic oxidation of carbon which maintain carbon sequestration for soil microbial populations is more due to higher temperature of the environment. Organic matter recycling also less due to less vegetation in dry climate with less humidity in the environment of tropical and subtropical environment. Organic matter contain all the essential plant nutrients and helpful for microbal multiplication and transformation of plant nutrients in soil-clay-humus a living system as store house of plant nutrents which transform nutrents in ionic form through root hair for nutrition of plant . So, organic matter recycling is essential along with secondary and micronutrients for better yield of crops in tropical and subtropical soil environment in south Asia and Africa either through organic farming or conventional farming to provide food,.fiber,fuel, shelter for ever growing population of planate earth.
In my previous discussion it is revealed that during last two to three decades specially synthetic NPK as macronutrients fertilizers were popularized for application in crop cultivation ignoring organic fertilizers which contain all the essential plant nutritions. According to great phelogofer Aresttol soil is the stomach of plant. Application of synthetic high analysis nitrogenous fertilizer like urea cause nitrate oxidation to acidty of soil destroy humus as lignite carbon and protein enzymes of microorganisms a living sytrem of soil and store house of plant nutrients cause ♋ cancer♋ to the stomach as soil .So due to lack of carbon sequestration for soil microbial populations which transform nutrents to plant and balanced nutrition of plant specilly secondary and micronutrients yield of crops were declining per unit area of land specially in south Asia and Africa of tropical and subtropical climate where organic matter conservation is limited compre to temperate climate.
Use of sutatainable agricultral technology in organic and conventional farming to minimise crop cultivation land degradation with environmental pollution may be the solution for safe crop production to provide safe food ,fiber,fuel,shelter for ever growing population of planate eartth.
INM is a very effective technique as it sustains the soil health also produces profitable produce which can feed the increasing population. Hence it become popular and more scientists also take interest in it and might be that is the reason of more papers published in last 2-3 decades on INM.
We need an answer through reserch. If one ton organic is pplied how much fertilizer would be needed in the reference crop. Similarly if organic is increased to 2 3 4 or 5 ton then how muc hfertilizer would be required.
Fertilizer dose has been established for particular crop like cereal,pulses, oilseeds, vegetatives etc. crops.in organic farminc concept 100 % organic fertilizers general y recommend and for conventional sutainable farming 50% organic fertilizers + 50% synthetic fertilizers may be recommended . Organic farming generaly farmers may expect about 50% yield of crops may expect compare to conventional sustainable farming ..
Research and innovation and monitoring of sustainable conventional farming with about 50 % organic fertilizers and 50 % synthetic fertilizers in different systems of crops rotation and cropping scheme with introduction of legumes cropping and biofettilizer application may the solution for organic recycling with biofettilizer application for sustainable soil health management with soil fertility and better with safe productivity of crop to provide food,fiber, fuel, shelter for the ever growing population of planate earth.
The best advantage of INM is that it is not allowing the soil to deteriorate. In few cases, there is improvement in soil health.
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