Fertilizer Use in Dryland Farming

Booklet No. 43 Manures & Fertilizers: MFS - 13

ontents Preface I. Introduction II. Nutrient Availability III. Recommendation of Nutrients IV. Improvement of Fertilizer use Efficiency V. Conclusion !re"a#e To meet t e increasin! food !rain re"uirement of t e country# dry lands $ill ave to play a crucial role. A lar!e c un% of country&s poor population in abits t e dry land areas. An attempt to improve t e productivity of dry land areas intend to serve t$o purposes' improvin! t e economic status of poor masses derivin! t eir liveli ood from dry land areas and contributin! to t e total food( !rain production of t e country. Fertilizers ave a %ey role to play in improvin! productivity of dry land areas. To ensure t e benefit and minimize t e ris%# a proper understandin! of certain t eoretical and practical aspects of fertilizer application in dry land areas is necessary. In t is boo%let# an attempt as been made to discuss t ese aspects briefly. $. %. &andy' Dire#tor' (gri#ultural & )n*ironmental )du#ation +. +ntrodu#tion Nearly )* + of t e arable land in our country is rainfed. T is lar!e c un% of area contributes only ,- + of t e total food !rain production. T e scarcity of $ater in t ese areas !reatly in ibits adoption of modern pac%a!e of practices in farmin! includin! t e use of i! yieldin! varieties# pesticides and fertilizers. Consumption of fertilizers per ectare in dryland re!ions is nearly . times less t an t at in irri!ated areas. /ore t an 0* + of t e total fertilizers used in t e country is dumped in only .*+ irri!ated area. Researc es ave# o$ever# proved t at t e productivity of dry lands can be improved si!nificantly by adoptin! appropriate met od of fertilizer application. 1ry lands ave not only a t irst for $ater but also a un!er for nutrients. Nitro!en deficiency is a $idespread problem of dryland areas. 2o$ amount of moisture in t e soil and relatively i! er temperature encoura!e t e loss of nitro!en from t e soil. 3oil nitro!en is lost to t e atmosp ere in !aseous form. 1eficiency of p osp orus# potassium# sulp ur and zinc is also fre"uently observed in dryland areas. T ese nutrients are essential for t e !ro$t and development of plants. ++. Nutrient (*aila,ility Nutrient availability refers to t e amount of nutrients present in t e soil $ ic plants can easily absorb by t eir roots. A nutrient is available# only $ en it is soluble in $ater. In t e re!ions of ade"uate rainfall4irri!ation# main t rust is to ma%e t e nutrients more and more soluble in t e $ater# so t at t e plant roots may absorb t em. 5ut in dryland areas problem is

6ust contrast. T ese soils do not ave enou! moisture to dissolve plant nutrient# even if t e nutrient is present in t e soil in $ater soluble form. T erefore# nutrients in t e soil do not find t eir $ay into t e plant roots. Application of fertilizers is# t erefore# i! ly restricted in dryland areas. +++. -e#ommendation o" Nutrients 7ut of t ree primary fertilizer nutrients namely nitro!en# p osp orus and potassium# nitro!en as t e i! est bearin! on t e crop yieldin! in dry land farmin!. T is is because of t e fact t at dryland soils are i! ly deficient in nitro!en. Response of nitro!enous fertilizers is al$ays !reater t an p osp atic and potassic fertilizers. 7n t e ot er and more amount of nitro!en can be made available t an p osp orus and potas at a definite level of soil moisture. Nitro!en is more mobile in t e soil t an p osp orus and potas . A definite amount of moisture can transport more amount of nitro!en t an p osp orus and potas . 8et# t e amount of nitro!en recommended for crops in dryland condition is al$ays less t an in irri!ated conditions. 9enerally less amount of fertilizers is recommended for cereal crops in dryland condition t an in irri!ated conditions. 5ut for le!uminous crops t ere is not muc difference. Recommendation of doses for main crops !ro$n in dryland areas are s o$n in table :. 7ut of t e t ree primary nutrients# nitro!en and p osp orus are applied in si!nificant amount. In scanty rainfall areas# potassium seldom becomes a limitin! factor 6n crop yield. Its use is# t erefore# avoided in most crops. Table :' Nutrient re"uirements of various crops in various re!ions. 3l No. : :. Re!ion < arif blac% soils of ? ansi@A.P.B Crop . 3or! um Red(!ram 3esamum 9uar 9roundnut C eat 5arley 2inseed /ustard 3afflo$er 9roundnut 3or! um Pearl miller Cotton 3esamum Castor 9reen(!ram Pi!eon pea N = * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ;uantity of nutrient %!4 a P > ,* ,* .* =* -> .* .* -* -* -* -> .* -* -> -> ,* ,* ,* < = * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

-.

< arif 5lac% soils of Ra6%ot @9u6aratB

..

< arif and rabi 5lac% soils of 3 olapur @/a aras traB Indore@/ad ya Prades B

5a6ra Rabi 3or! um 3afflo$er 5en!al !ram 3or! um /aize C eat 3afflo$er 5en!al !ram /aize 3or! um 5en!al !ram C eat 3afflo$er /ustard Rabi 3or! um 3afflo$er 5en!al !ram Field bean 3or! um Pearl millet Pulses 5a6ra 5lac%DRed !ram 9uar /ustard 3afflo$er 5en!al !ram 5arley C eat 2inseed 9roundnut Castor Red !ram 5a6ra 3or! um Castor Red !ram Ra!iD5a6ra Ra!i /aize

>* >* >* :> >* >* .* ,* -* >* >* :> .* .* .* .* -* :> :> ,* ,* -* =* :* :* =* =* :* =* ,* ,* -* ,* -* ,* ,* >* :* ,* >* )>

-> * -> -> -> -> .* ,* ,* .* .* .* :> :> :> .* .* .* .* -* -* ,* .* ,* -* ,* ,* -> * * -* ,* ,* ,* ,* .* .* .* .* >* >*

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ,* ,* -* ,* * * * * -> ->

,.

Adaipur@Ra6ast anB >.

=.

Rabi blac% soils 5ellary <arnata%a

).

<ovilpatti@Tamilnad uB Alluvial soils A!ra@A.PB

0.

E.

3emi(arid Red soils@A.PB

:*.

Fyderabad@And ra Prades B

::.

5an!alore @<arnata%aB

:-.

3ub umid red soils 5 ubanes $ar @7rissaB Ranc i @5i arB

9roundnut Pulses Apland rice and medium rice 5arley Rice @F8VB Rice @localB C eat 3afflo$er 5en!al !ram

-> -> )>(E* .* =* .* .* -* *

>* >* =* -* .* -* -* * -*

-> -> ,* -* * * * * =

:..

+.. +m/ro*ement o" Fertilizer Use )""i#ien#y T e ob6ective be ind t e use of fertilizer in dry land condition s ould be to ma%e maGimum amount of fertilizer nutrient available to t e plant $it in t e eGistin! lo$ levels of soil moisture. Certain points# discussed belo$# must be %ept in mind in order to ac ieve t is ob6ective. 1. Use o" organi# matter 7r!anic matter constitutes a vital component of t e soil. It is made up of plant residues# animal residues and dead and decayed soil or!anisms. To maintain a fair level of or!anic matter in t e soil# use of farmyard manure# !reen manure# compost# and ot er or!anic manures is essential. T e size of $ell decayed or!anic matter particles is more or less e"ual to t e finest particles of t e soil called clay. 5ut or!anic matter particles play more important role t an clay in retention of soil moisture. A unit volume of or!anic matter particles can retain :*(:** times !reater amount of moisture t an t e same volume of clay. Ase of materials supplementin! to or!anic matter reserves of t e soil is t erefore# imperative in dry land soils. 5esides au!mentin! moisture retention in t e soil# or!anic matter elps in t e development of !ranular soil structure $ ic provides !ood aeration to t e soil. Roots find con!enial atmosp ere for proliferation it and can eGtract !reater amount of moisture and nutrients from t e soil. 9reen manurin! in assured rainfall areas is very useful. 2e!ume crops enric soil fertility by fiGin! nitro!en and supplyin! or!anic matter to t e soil. 9ro$in! of !reen !ram# co$pea# blac% !ram and soyabean $it early monsoon s o$ers for !rain and by incorporatin! residues in t e soil for Au!ust so$n sor! um is a useful practice. 7n roadsides and field boundaries $ ic are lyin! unused# le!uminous s rubs and trees can be !ro$n and t e leaves and soft t$i!s can be cut# collected and transported to t e main field. About :* to .* %! of fertilizer nitro!en per ectare can be saved if !reen manurin! is done for t e main crop. 0. !la#ement o" "ertilizers Placin! t e fertilizers in t e root zone of t e soil is a more efficient tec ni"ues t an broadcastin! of fertilizers. In t e placement application# fertilizer is placed in furro$s be ind t e desi plou! at appropriate dept and at safe distance from t e seeds or seedlin!s. 5y t is met od# contact bet$een fertilizer and soil particles is reduced and unavailability of fertilizer nutrients due to t eir fiGation $it t e soil particles can be avoided to a lar!e eGtent. Fertilizer nutrients can mana!e to reac plant roots even if moisture in t e soil is scanty.

Tec ni"ue involves openin! furro$s to$ards one or bot t e sides of t e ro$ of crop plants# placin! t e fertilizer in t ese furro$s and coverin! t em. Furro$s can be opened $it t e elp of bulloc% dra$n plou! . 3ome bulloc% dra$n mac ines called &seed cum fertilizer drill& are also used for t is purpose in some parts of t e country. In orc ard trees# fertilizer is placed in a rin! $ ic is du! around t e tree at a safe distance from t e tree trun%. 3. S/ray a//li#ation 3pray application of urea and micronutrient fertilizer to supply nitro!en and micronutrients respectively# to t e plants as been found to be very useful in dryland conditions. C en moisture in t e soil is not sufficient to transport fertilizer nutrient from t e soil to t e plant roots# use of# spray solution is desirable. T is is an effective met od of application of nitro!en t rou! urea. 3pray !rade urea is mar%eted in our country. A -(.+ solution of urea in $ater can be sprayed on t e crop. T$o to t ree sprays of t is %ind can be !iven to t e standin! crop. If a farmer fails to apply fertilizer to is crop in time due to some circumstances suc as lac% of timely rainfall# unavailability of fertilizer in time and inability to farmer to buy fertilizer in time etc.# application of -(. + urea# solution proves very beneficial. 4. Balan#ed use o" "ertilizers T e sin!ular application of eit er nitro!en or p osp orus or potas is not as useful as t e application of t eir combinations. Ase of p osp atic fertilizer alon! $it nitro!enous fertilizer is found specially beneficial in dryland conditions. P osp orus elps in elon!ation of root net$or% of t e plant# t ereby enablin! t e plant roots to eGplore !reater volume of ambient soil for nutrient and moisture. Elon!ated roots absorb !reater amount of nutrients from t e soil li%e nitro!en# potas # calcium etc. 7n t e ot er and# nitro!en alon! $it ot er nutrients elps in development of sound folia!e. T e ultimate impact of t e combined use of nutrients is t e i! er yield of crop. 1. Use o" /&os/&orus mi2ed 3it& "armyard manure 4F5M6 Farmyard manure prepared by t is met od is called enric ed F8/. About )>* %! of F8/ is sufficient for one ectare. T e $ ole amount of p osp atic fertilizer# calculated on t e basis of recommended dose of p osp orus# for a planned crop is miGed $it farmyard manure before its application to t e field. Fertilizer and F8/ are spread in alternate layers over one anot er and left in t e manure pit for ripenin! for about a mont . Pit s ould be covered $it soil to ma%e it airti! t. Enric ment of F8/ by p osp orus also increases nitro!en content of F8/. P osp orus of F8/ does not allo$ !aseous loss of nitro!en from F8/ as it absorbs nitro!en and $it olds it $it in t e manure. Ase of enric ed F8/ as been found very useful in dryland soils. 7. Use o" mi#ronutrients and amendments /icronutrients are essential for t e plants t ou! t e plants re"uire t em in very minute amounts. 3ometime# plant !ro$t becomes impossible due to t e absence of micronutrients in t e soil. Crop yield is drastically reduced due to t e deficiency of micronutrients and use of fertilizers does not respond si!nificantly. In suc a situation# a representative soil sample s ould be ta%en to a local soil testin! laboratory and tested t ere for nutrient status of t e soil. Imbalance of nutrients is very li%ely $ en soil reaction is not neutral. 3oil testin! report is supposed to !ive information about soil reaction# accordin!ly# appropriate amount of lime in acidic soils and !ypsum in al%ali soils s ould be applied. Nutrient re( commendations based on soil test are al$ays more desirable t an blan%et recommendations. 8. Use o" ,io-"ertilizers

Ase of bio(fertilizers is very beneficial in dry land situations. Treatin! t e le!uminous crop seeds $it R izobium bio(fertilizers increases capacity of t e crop to fiG atmosp eric nitro!en and dependence of plant on soil nitro!en is !reatly reduced. Roots and ot er residues of le!ume crops left in t e soil after arvestin!# enric t e soil $it nitro!en and subse"uent crops !et !ood amount of nitro!en from t is soil. /ycorr iza $ ic is a promisin! biofertilisers may prove very beneficial for supportin! p osp orus to crops. T is biofertilizer consists of an or!anism called fun!i. T e body of micorr izal fun!i. is li%e a net$or% of fine t reads called yp ae. Fyp ae !et $rapped over plant roots and eGtend into t e soil solution. Fyp ae absorb plant nutrient from t e soil# transport t em to vascular bundles of t e plant roots and leave t em t ere for plant use. Application of ot er bul%y bioertilizers. li%e blue !reen al!ae and azolla is also elpful in retention of moisture and increasin! recovery of fertilizer used. 9. (lteration in time o" "ertilizer a//li#ation Crops need fertilizer at a particular sta!e of !ro$t . 5ut a sli! t modification in time of fertilizer application based on moisture availability in soil# is desirable. If rainfall ta%es place s ortly before or after t e usual time of fertilizer application can be made to suit t e nutrient availability. Fertilizer s ould be applied $ en t ere is ade"uate moisture in t e soil. T is results in !reater utilization of nutrients by plants. In t ose dry:and fields $ ere irri!ation facility is limited# calibration in timin!s of fertilizer application can be made accordin!ly. :. ;ater #onser*ation /ra#ti#es It is obvious from t e term dry:and farmin! t at# $ater deficiency is a perpetual problem and t e bi!!est constraint to adoption of fertilizer use tec nolo!y. Cater conservation practices tend to encoura!e fertilizer application in dry :and areas. All t e measures s ould be adopted to arrest every drop of rain$ater on t e field itself. T is $ill ensure !reater utilization of native plant nutrients and conse"uently !reater yield of crops. In t ose dry :and areas $ ere soil and $ater conservation practices are adopted# fertilizer consumption is !reater t an t at in t e areas $it no $ater conservation practices. 5eneficial effect of fertilizer application coupled $it moisture conservation practice is depicted in table -. 1ose of fertilizer recommended for $ eat in dry:and condition $as appliedH moisture level $as measured as t ic%ness of $ater layer in millimeter# in t e top E* cm t ic% vertica::ayer of soil. Table -' Effect of moisture conservation practices on $ eat yield 3l.No Treatment /oisture level in soil profile @mm4E*cmB :,) :=0 8ield as avera!e of t$o years @%!4 aB :>** :)0*

: -

Farmers practice /inor levelin!D bundlin!

9raded bundin! $it $ater $ays s ould be preferred I for all blac% and eavy teGtured soils li%e clay# clay loam and silty clay. 9raded bundin! is also suitable for all areas receivin! more t an 0** mm of rainfall and soils avin! impervious layers $it in a dept of --.> cm irrespective of soil type. Contour bundin! is recommended for areas receivin! less t an 0** mm rainfall and avin! li! t to medium teGture soils $it !ood permeability. For t e slopes# terracin! is recommended. C ereas in t e cultivated land deep plou! in! is an easy met od of $ater conservation. For details of $ater conservation see boo%let No. :-=.

1<. =t&er "arming /ra#ti#es 7t er farmin! practices s ould be based on t$o basic necessities of dryland farmin! namely moisture and nutrient supply. In % arif season nitro!en s ould be !iven in t$o or t ree split doses in order to avoid leac in! loss of nitro!en. Fo$ever# for rabi season crops# nitro!en can be placed alon! $it p osp orus and potas before so$in!. Proper se"uence of crops @rotationB elp in balanced use of nutrients in t e soil. Crop rotation must include at least one le!uminous crop. Certified "uality seeds s ould be preferred to traditional ones. It is often observed t at t e i! yieldin! varieties of sor! um# pearl millet# castor# and beans# adapted to t at particular re!ion# ave deeper and more eGtensive root systems t an t e local varieties. Fence# t ey are able to $it stand moisture stress and absorb !reater amount of nutrient from t e soil. 3ome farmin! practices specific to dryland conditions li%e manipulation in so$in! time# follo$in! croppin! pattern and croppin! intensity recommended for t at particular area# proper insect pest and $eed control etc. must accompany t e use of fertilizers. 11. Mul#&ing T e practice of mulc in! involves placin! materials suc as stra$# plant residues leaves# loose soil or plastic film on t e soil surface to reduce loss of moisture by evaporation from t e soil. /ulc in! reduces soil erosion and also protects t e plant roots a!ainst $ide fluctuation in soil temperature. /ulc in! of rainfed crops elps retain soil moisture and increase fertilizer use efficiency. 8ield of $ eat often increases 6f mulc in! is done in its precedin! crop of maize. In $ eat# follo$in! mulc ed maize# t e yields $it * and ,* %! N4 a $ere com( parable to t ose $it ,* and 0* %! N4 a $it out mulc in!. T us# it saved ,* %! N4 a to t e succeedin! crops of $ eat. .. on#lusion

To meet t e food !rain re"uirement of -** million additional population by -*** A.1.# $e ave to produce )* million tonnes of food !rains over and above $ at $e produce today @tar!et of -*** A.1. is -,* million tonnesB. /ore t an 0* + of t e additional re"uirement of food as to be met from t e dryland area in nineties. Proper application of t e appropriate tec nolo!y# of proven @benefit# must receive attention. T e pac%a!e of practices of dryland farmin! evolved by t e various researc institutions located in various parts of India ave made t e fertilizer use tec nolo!y free from ris%# cost effective and ecolo!ically sound. Farmers in dryland areas are very receptive to fertilizers. 8et# a lar!e number of t em stay a$ay from fertilizers as t e use of fertilizers involves a ris% because : of uncertainty of monsoon in India and a very s ort : span @only -(. mont sB of rainfall. T e mean len!t of !ro$in! season varies from :0 $ee%s on s allo$ red soils# -- $ee%s on deep red soils to -$ee%s on deep blac% soils. T e calendar of operations s ould be so framed as to ta%e t e fullest advanta!e of !ro$in! season. Investi!ations ave s o$n t at in assured rainfall zones of. dry land re!ions# investin! one rupee in fertilizer !ives return of - to :> rupees in monsoon season. In post monsoon season t e return as been $or%ed out to be - to :- rupees for eac rupee invested in fertilizer# in assured rainfall zone. To realize t is muc profit# fertilizer application must be accompanied by ot er improved practices of dry land farmin!. +++++++++++++++++++++