Integrated Nutrient Management

Background

The soil in YSR Kadappa is deficient in micronutrients which is one of the major reasons that crops have stopped responding to fertilizers leading to reduction in yields and increased cost of production. Micronutrients are those essential elements that are required by plants in very small amounts. Besides promoting plant metabolic activities and growth of the plants, they play a major role in improving quality, size, taste, input efficiency of fertilizers, water usage and disease resistance. As these nutrients are costly and required in very small amounts, their usage among farmers is low.

Intervention

Given this context, the Department of Agriculture launched the Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) scheme in YSR Kadappa. Under this intervention, the department provided farmers with trainings along with a fully subsidised stock of micronutrients. This was based on the soil fertility status as ascertained through soil health cards. Farmers applied 10 kg of zinc per acre in basal and 200 kg of gypsum per acre at the pod formation stage through second inter cultivation.

Impact

As a result of interventions, cost of cultivation came down from Rs 19,000 per acre to Rs 15,000 per acre. As a result farmers got additional income of Rs 17,800 per acre. Yields increased from 900 kg per acre to 1,300 kg per acre.

Source : Aspirational Districts for WEB