Decision support system for fertilizer recommendation–A case study

The present work carried during 2010–12 at the Dharwad, Karnataka, to provide support to the farmers of selected zones in decision-making process towards application of fertilizer in selected crops. A Decision Support System (DSS) on fertilizer recommendation was designed and developed using Visual Basic 6.0 as a plat-form taking help of the information from Soil Test and Crop Response (STCR) research. The developed DSS is a console application and helps in taking decision to farmers on amount of fertilizer to be applied in different crops. The study revealed that, on an average framers of Dharwad, growing maize (Zea mays L.) and chilli (Capsicum sp.) are applying 20 kg N, 10 kg P₂O₅, 12 kg K₂O and 26 kg N, 36 kg P₂O₅, 15 kg K₂O/ha for each crop in excess of the required amount which caused not only unnecessary expenditure on fertilizer, amounting to 938 and 2,102/ha respectively, Thus, the developed DSS is useful in augmenting economic agricultural production maintaining soil and environmental health, avoiding unnecessary wastage of resources, even in absence of experts by the farmers themselves.