Integrated Nutrient Management Strategies for Rainfed Agro-ecosystems of India

Abstract

Nutrient management is a major factor governing soil health status and crop productivity as most of the Indian soils are multi-nutrient deficient. The intensity of nutrient deficiencies in Indian soils under diverse ecosystems is increasing. Benefits accruing from the efficient nutrient management systems include reduced cost of cultivation, and improved factor productivity of nutrients and environmental sustainability. Rainfed agro-ecosystems hold pivotal importance as they contribute a major share to the food basket of the nation. These agro-ecosystems need to be developed with efficient management practices as they hold the potential to meet the increasing demands of burgeoning population. Crop production in these regions is constrained by various factors viz., erratic rainfall, poor soil conditions, resource poor and marginal farmers, poor infrastructure and market linkages, etc. Integrated nutrient management (INM) system has been promoted in rainfed ecosystems as it takes the advantage of locally available organic resources along with fertilizer nutrients towards sustainability of rainfed systems in India. The subject of INM will continue to draw an attention of all agriculture scientists working on natural resource management, KVKs, line departments, policy makers in India as it has multi-dimensional advantages.