Balanced Crop Nutrition
Balanced Crop Nutrition (BCN) refers to the maintenance of soil fertility for sustaining the desired productivity by judicious use of all possible nutrient sources like organic, inorganic and biological components in balanced manner.
There are 17 essential plant nutrients required for optimal plant growth and development. If any one of these nutrients is deficient, the crop’s lifecycle will be negatively affected – even when all other essential nutrients are adequately supplied. Maximum yield potential can only be achieved when the proper balance of nutrients is in place. As much as 50% to 60% of yield is dependent on soil fertility and nutrient management.
Soil testing will help farmers in knowing pH, nutrient availability status in the soil and for deciding suitable or best agriculture fertilizer products for respective crop and soil. Soil test based nutrient application is one of the best ways to practice in Balanced Crop Nutrition.
Benefits of Balanced Crop Nutrition –
– Improves soil health / fertility and productivity
– Improves crop health
– Improves yield and quality of the crop
– Improves animal and human health
– Improves farm income (Return on investment)
– Correction of nutrient deficiencies and toxicities
– Avoiding excess use of fertilizers
– Reducing environmental hazards
To fulfill global food demand, high-yielding varieties and hybrids are essential to produce more yields, these hybrids remove more nutrients from soil, and as a result multi-nutrient deficiency occurs. Continuous use of chemical fertilizers in crop production disturbs harmony between soil, plant and microorganisms.
Maximizing crop production to feed the growing population, at the same time, maintaining soil health by following environment friendly practices is must. Hence, Top Fertilizer companies in India are recommending BCN or Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) for not only getting optimum yield and quality, but for maintaining sustainability of Agriculture, improving soil health and for providing balanced nutrition to the society.
Types of Fertilizers –
Fertilizers are mainly classified into three main types, Organic, Inorganic (Chemical) and Bio-fertilizers.
Organic matter improves soil structure, nutrient holding capacity, water holding capacity of the soil, aeration and infiltration capacity, regulates soil temperature, improves nutrient availability by releasing fixed nutrients in the soil, improves nutrient use efficiency.
Bio-fertilizers keep the soil environment rich in all kinds of micro and macro-nutrients via nitrogen fixation, phosphate and potassium solubilization or mineralization, release of plant growth regulating substances, production of antibiotics and biodegradation of organic matter in the soil.
Chemical fertilizers are natural or synthetic, chemical-based substances containing one or more essential nutrients in higher concentrations. Fertilizers are usually water-soluble and can easily dissolve in the soil. They play a key role in improving the crop yield and providing enough food to feed the large population.
Right balance of Organic, Inorganic and Bio-fertilizers is must to obtain optimum yield and quality of the crop and to maintain crop, soil and human health.