Problems and prospects of secondary and micronutrient management in India

Productive agriculture depends on sound soil nutrient management practices. Sixteen elements are known to be essential for plants. Intensive cultivation and imbalanced use of fertilizers has resulted in soils becoming deficient in several of these nutrients. The soils are also impoverished in organic matter. For healthy growth and optimal yield levels, nutrients must be available not only in the precise quantity and proportion, but in a usable form and at the right time. Despite the continuous development of new and improved modern varieties and greater use of chemical fertilizers, growth in yield has slowed in recent years in the country. One of the major factors contributing to declining crop response is the continuous nutrient mining from the soil caused by imbalanced nutrient use. Indian soils have shown a gradual and alarming decrease of primary nutrients like Nitrogen and Potassium. Among other nutrients, soils have mostly become deficient in Sulphur, Zinc and Boron. The situation demands better nutrient management for the overall strategy in order to increase crop yields and sustaining them at a high level.