Soil Fertility & Health

Demonstrating and Disseminating the Best Practices and Technologies for Watershed

Rehabilitation to Help Rural Farmers: A Case Study in Pakistan

Thomas Reinsch & Michael Kucera

USDA-NRCS Slide 1

Key Facts and Figures• Almost 100% of soils in Pakistan lack

nitrogen (N); about 80-90% - phosphorus (P) and 30% - potassium (K).

• Deficiencies of micronutrients such as zinc (Zn) and boron (B) are found in different crops.

• Less than 5% of farmers apply micronutrient fertilizers

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Key Facts and Figures (cont)• Imbalanced use of fertilizers, especially

macronutrients (NPK), deteriorates natural resources and leads to low yields and poor economic returns.

• Nitrogenous fertilizers were introduced in 1952, phosphatic in 1959-1960 and potassium in 1966-1967.

• Use of fertilizers increased after 1966-1967, when high yielding varieties of cereal crops were introduced in Pakistan.

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Key Facts and Figures (cont)• Only 2% of farmers apply potash to

fruits, vegetables and sugarcane.• A significant yield gap between

potential and the actual yields provides an opportunity to improve productivity and food security through balanced use of fertilizers.

• Balanced use of fertilizers enhances yields by 30-50%.

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Feed the Future: USG Global Hunger and Food Security

Initiative

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Focus:CountriesAreas

Research and Capacity Building

Pakistan

Pakistan – Punjab & SindhImproving Soil Health and Fertility in Pakistan

through Demonstration and Dissemination of Best Management Practices for Farmers

• Identify and visually display current practices• Demonstrate Pakistani methods to local farmers• Develop and disseminate extension method• Public and private sector deliver 4R + health

message

USDA, Partners, Objectives

FAOidentify current methods and specific practices

develop cooperation between the public and private sectors

ICARDA

demonstrate and test best management practices

develop and disseminate information and tools

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FAO-Pakistan

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FAO-Pakistan

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Pakistani Partner Institutions• National Fertilizer and Development Centre (NFDC)• Land Resources Research Institute/Pakistan Agricultural

Research Council• Farm Machinery Research Institute/Pakistan Agricultural

Research Council• Soil and Water Conservation Research Institute (SAWCRI -

Punjab)• Soil Fertility Research Institute (Punjab)• University of Agriculture – Faisalabad• Sindh Agriculture University - Tandojam• Sindh Agricultural Extension Directorate• National Center for Excellence in Geology/University of

Peshawar• Balochistan Agricultural Research Directorate

Partner Activities• Land Resources Research Institute/PARC

– Biofertilizer (Biozote) Technology for improving soil health

– Balance fertilization by using seed cum fertilizer drill in improving N & P use efficiency and soil health

– Beneficial Role of Micronutrients (Boron & Zinc) for enhancing productivity and soil health

Partner Activities

• Soil and Water Conservation Research Institute (SAWCRI - Punjab)– On-farm composting for kitchen gardening

& farming by rural women with roof-top rain water harvesting technique.

– Green manuring for improving soil fertility and enhancing wheat yield

Partner Activities• University of Agriculture – Faisalabad

– Fertilizer Prediction Models: www.fertilizeruaf.pk

– Dissemination of N & P prediction models among the end users

– Validation and demonstration of N & P prediction models.

Project outputs• District-level soil fertility and fertilizer

atlas for Punjab and Sindh• Demonstration sites on building SOM,

using biofertilizer, and other BMPs• Agricultural extension materials on

BMPs for soil health, soil fertility, and 4Rs

• Decision tool via Internet and smartphone to improve fertilizer-use efficiency

4R Nexus to Soil Health• Healthy soils improve soil fertility and

yields; minimize nutrient losses; and provide for efficient fertilizer use.

• 4R represents the use of fertilizer BMPs to ensure:– the right nutrients– at the right rate – at the right time– in the right place

• How does fertilizer use efficiency improve?– Soil biological system!!!

Why practice Soil Health Planning Principles and 4Rs

– Improved soil fertility– Improved yields– Nutrient use efficiency – Soil Moisture (Runoff-infiltration-evaporation– Drought mitigation (resilient system)– Economics!!!

Conclusions

• Partnerships are essential for science and technology development, distribution, and implementation

• Local farmer adoption depends on local leadership and demonstration

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