How to improve fertilizer use efficiency?

Following are some of the ways to improve fertilizer use efficiency

l Farmer should give priority to his crops which have controlled irrigation as compared to unirrigated crops.

l Most responsive and best suited crop variety should be selected to get maximum benefits of fertilizer.

l High yielding varieties give better yield response to fertilizers than local varieties. Therefore high-yielding varieties should be preferred.

l Planting/sowing of crop should be done at the normal time suited for the tract to get maximum benefit from applied fertilizers.

l Proper plant spacing has to be ensured.

l It is desirable to add organic waste and organic manure to built soil fertility and its water holding capacity of soil.

l Leguminous crops are taken in rotational and as inter crop and use of bacterial and algae cultures play important role in meeting the fertilizer need of the crop.

l If possible, green manuring with dhaincha or sunnhemp should be practiced in low land paddy cultivation.

l Irrigation rate should be controlled by using just enough water at different physiological growth stages of crops.

l Balanced fertilizer should be practiced based on the soil test.

l Fertilizer recommendation should preferably be based on crop sequence for multiple cropping.

l All the phosphate and potash should be applied as basal dose, while nitrogen should be applied in split doses. (2-3 times).

l Phosphate should be placed 4 to 6cm. below and away from the seed to ensure maximum availability to the crop potash should be broad casted then mixed with the soil.

l Urea must be applied with soil for top dressing to reduce nitrogen loss by mixing 1 part of urea with 5-10 parts of moist soil and keep it for 24 hours for getting best results.

l For rice crop, whenever possible mix urea with locally available nitrification inhibitors such as neem cake and karanj cake (1kg cake + 5kg urea). This will reduce N losses from soil.

l Under adverse soil and climate conditions application of fertilizers such as nitrogen through foliage along with insecticides and pesticides will lead to higher utilization by plants.

l When soil is acidic, saline and alkaline appropriate amendments viz. Lime, Gypsum etc. should be applied before using fertilizers. In alkali soils 3 to 5 tonnes of gypsum per acre should be applied.

l Weed control, particularly during early stages of crop growth is essential.

l Proper control of pests and diseases is a must for realizing maximum effectiveness from fertilizers.

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