The common and strongly-held view in India is that balanced fertiliser use requires three major plant nutrients, namely, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, to be used in the ratio of 4:2:1, and any deviation in fertiliser use from this norm would constrain growth in crop productivity. This officially-accepted perception, a product of 1950s experiments, has led to wrong policies on fertilisers. Estimating actual and normative quantity of N, P and K for each state of India corresponding to the current cropping pattern, it is found that contrary to the notion that there is excess use of nitrogen in India, 12 major states were found using less than the required level. India, in fact, faces large deficits in use of P and K. It calls for curtailing the use of N in one-third of the states and raising it in the remaining two-thirds.
Ramesh Chand (rc@ncap.res.in) is member, NITI Aayog, and Director Indian Council of Agricultural Research, National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research, New Delhi. Pavithra S (vgpavithra@gmail.com) is scientist at ICAR National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research, New Delhi.
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