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Context: December 5, 2024, marked the 10th World Soil Day with the theme "Caring for Soils – Measure, Monitor, and Manage", emphasizing the critical need to protect nutrient-deficient topsoil, vital for 95% of global food production.

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Soil ecosystems are the foundation of human life support systems. Soil erosion, loss of soil organic matter and nutrient depletion are among the leading contributors to impaired soil health, reduced crop yields and poverty. 

Realizing the significant role that soils play in food and environmental security and in abating climate change, the United Nations declared 2015 as the Year of Soils. 

Similar to this the International Union of Soil Science (IUSS) has declared 2015-2024 as the International Decade of Soils.

The State of Indian Soils

Challenges in the Indian Fertiliser Sector

• Burden of Subsidy:

  High subsidy costs amounting to about INR 70,000 crores or approx. USD 9.5 billion annually burdens the government. Inefficient distribution and leakage in the subsidy system. E.g., Urea, which receives the lion’s share of the subsidy (about two-thirds), is priced at approximately $70 per tonne, the lowest globally.

• Dependence on Imports:India largely draws upon imports- about 20-30% of demand for meeting its fertilizer needs. Volatility in global prices and supply disruptions affect its availability in the country. 

• Raw Material Security:Domestic scarcity of key raw materials such as natural gas, ammonia, and phosphoric acid. Price sensitivity through imported raw material usage. For example, Punjab applies 61% more nitrogen than the recommended dose but underuses potash by 89% and phosphate by 8%.

• Environmental:Emissions of greenhouse gases, water, and soil pollution through the use and production of fertilizers. Strict regulations and an increasing consciousness of society make the industry adopt environmentally friendly behaviors.

• Infrastructure Bottlenecks:Inefficient storage facilities, transportation, and distribution networks. High cost of logistics and theft of fertilizer during transportation.

Transformational opportunities for the fertilizer sector in India are

Digital Agriculture:

• Precision farming and digital tools that enhance optimization of fertilizer application.
• Data analytics for soil health monitoring and delivering personal recommendations.

Sustainable Production:

• Eco-friendly processes and technologies that are on board to produce fertilizers.
• This would be accomplished through: Renewable sources of energy utilized and ensuring that the emission of greenhouse gases is minimized.

Circular Economy:

• Recycled waste material used in making fertilizers.
• Closed-loop system be created in a manner that provides nutrient recovery.

Organic and Biofertilizers:

• Organic and biofertilizer being promoted and thus replacing chemical-based fertilizers
• Successful agriculture practices and managing soil health

Management of Soil Health:

• Balanced Nutrient inputs through integrated soil fertility management.
• Promotion of conservation agriculture and regenerative agriculture.

Farm-to-Farm Knowledge Sharing:

• Mutual learning and knowledge sharing between farmers
• Best practices and success stories to be promoted in sustainable agriculture.

Policy Reforms:

• Rationalization of fertilizer subsidies with a targeted support for sustainable practices.
• Promotion of investments by private sectors in sustainable agriculture ventures.

Research and Development:

• R&D investments in sustainable fertilizer products.
• New products and services in soil health and nutrient management.

On-going Government Policies for Sustainable Soil and Nutrient Management

The Government of India is implementing a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) policy for P and K fertilizers with effect from April 2010. Under the NBS Policy, a fixed rate of subsidy (in Rs. per kg basis) is announced on nutrients on an annual basis. However, urea is kept out of the policy due to various reasons.

The Government of India through the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) and ‘National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC) for India’ is promoting sustainable use of natural resources. Besides, the National Water Mission and National Mission for a Green India under NAPCC have direct relevance to the management of natural resources and rainfed areas.

A National Mission on Soil Health Card has been launched under which a Soil Health Card is being issued to each farmer by the soil testing laboratory located in each district of the state. 

Organic farming is being promoted through various schemes/programmes, namely Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Mission on Oilseeds & Oil Palm (NMOOP), National Programme on Organic Production (NPOP) of Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). 

Recommendations (New Policy Initiatives/Directions Needed for Farmer's Welfare Implementable)

• Implementation of technologies to arrest water and wind erosion developed by the ICAR Institutes and State Agricultural Universities may be reviewed and strengthened. 
• It is high time that land use policy in the country is framed to save productive lands being transferred for purposes other than agriculture.
• Soil Health Mission introduced by Govt. of India to provide soil health card to each and every farmer is a timely and welcome step. The Govt. of India has invested heavily in its Soil Health Mission and it is estimated that 120 million Soil Health Cards have been distributed.
• Biofertilizers (BF) along with organics have to be an integral part of nutrient management. Deployment of new microorganisms or consortia of microorganisms and quality control of biofertilizer packets supplied at the farmer’s doorstep should be of paramount importance.
• The Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) policy encourages use of more urea which has highly skewed the N: P: K use ratio in some states. Reforms in NBS policy are required to correct this aberration.
• There is a need to develop new products and popularize more efficient methods of nutrient application. Fertigation is one means which can effectively enhance the nutrient use efficiency considerably. 

Conclusion

In view of the 3 related SDGs (2, 13, 15), “4 per 1000” as well as India’s Climate Pledge stated earlier, extra emphasis has to be laid on carbon sequestration in soils. Since Organic Carbon Content is an easily measurable parameter, monitoring and incentivizing the farmers through payment of ecosystem services, would go a long way in achieving these targets. 

ALSO READ ABOUT

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/what-challenges-does-india-face-in-fertiliser-imports

PROPERTIES OF SOILS IN INDIA

SOIL DEGRADATION

World Soil Day and Land Degradation

Soil acidification status in India 

eSoil Innovation Boosts Crop

Source:

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/all-is-not-well-with-soil-9714003/#:~:text=Less%20than%205%20per%20cent,%2C%20zinc%2C%20boron%2C%20etc.

https://naas.org.in/documents/SoilHealth.pdf

https://icrier.org/all-is-not-well-with-soil/

https://www.wrightresearch.in/encyclopedia/chapter-report/chapter-6-key-factors-and-challenges-of-the-fertilizer-industry/