It’s seemingly a double whammy for Odisha. The latest geo-referenced soil fertility map released by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) brings to fore the poor soil nutrient scenario in the State as it was found highly deficient in phosphorus unlike other eastern States - a nutrient considered lifeline for rice production. The doubly vulnerable fact is Odisha soils are also very poor in nitrogen. According to the ICAR data, soils in most of the districts in Odisha are low in nitrogen like elsewhere in the country. But unlike northern, southern and eastern India, almost all districts in the State have soils with low phosphorus nutrient - which it considers need adequate application of phosphorous to the soil to realise increased rice yield. It has found the soil in Odisha as high to medium in availability of potassium.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently launched the ambitious programme of providing soil health cards to all farmers, agriculture experts felt that Odisha needs intensification of the programme here as farmers in most districts apply imbalanced use of fertilisers leading to low rice yield in the State overall. The proposed soil health cards will specify the nutrient scenario of the soil thereby farmers can use the adequate soil nutrient to maximise their yields, notes the scheme.
The data available with the State Agriculture Department shows that the use of fertiliser in Odisha has dropped to around 57 kg per hectare last agriculture season from 62 kg/ha in 2011-12. Moreover, it also reveals that against the recommended dose of 60 kg nitrogen, 30 kg phosphorus, 30 kg potassium per hectare for high yield variety rice crops and 40kg nitrogen to 20kg each of phosphorus and potassium for normal rice crop, the actual usage has been in the ratio of 3kg nitrogen to only 1kg of phosphorus. Farmers are tempted to use more nitrogenous fertiliser in the form of urea as it is cheap, observed a Government note.
Recently, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a communiqué to Centre has estimated the need of fertiliser for Odisha at the rate of 126 kg/ha this agriculture season. Though the communiqué largely focuses on nitrogenous fertilisers especially urea only, farmer associations and farm experts argue for more phosphorus fertilisers to State as it is most essential for high rice production especially in the aftermath of the latest ICAR test results.
Data available with State Agriculture Directorate reveals that the department has tested around 4 lakh soil samples across the State last year. However, it is yet to issue soil health cards to the farmers. Though Odisha farm sector is largely in the hands of marginal and small farmers, soil health card could prove a game changer for them as they could know the balanced need of fertiliser application in their field. Right Phosphorous (P) mixture would ensure better yield and better remuneration thereby negate the so-called argument of ‘costly’ tag associated with phosphorus fertiliser, observed Bhibhudhendra Pratap Das of the Odisha Krushak Mahasangha.