11/7/2013

1

Micronutrients R&D for Balanced Crop Nutrition

A Success Story from Pakistan

Abdul Rashid

Pakistan Academy of Sciences Islamabad, PAKISTAN

Bahawalpur

Kaghan

LAND RESOURCES

Million ha

Total : 79.6

Cultivated: 20.7

Irrigated: 16.5

Rainfed: 4.2

Population: ~180 M Labor Force: 45% GDP: >21%

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Source : Rafiq (1996); NFDC

Pakistan: Soils & Fertilizer Use

Aridisol Alfisol

Entisol Mollisol

Inceptisol Vertisol

Soil Types:

Alluvial, Alkaline, Calcareous, Low OM

Fertilizer Use: Historical Perspective

N P K Zn Fe B

1950s 1960 1966 1970s 1980s 1990s

Source: NFDC

Fertilizer Nutrient Use (per ha)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

72 75 78 81 84 87 90 93 96 99 '02 '05 '08 '11

(kg

/h

a)

N P2O5 K2OPhosphate Potash Nitrogen

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Wheat: Production and Yield

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

19

48

19

56

19

64

19

72

19

79

19

83

19

87

19

91

19

95

19

99

20

03

20

07

20

11

Yie

ld

Are

a &

Pro

du

cti

on

PRODUCTION (m. tonnes) AREA (m. ha) YIELD (kg / ha)

2.6 Mt/ha

5.0 Mt/ha

10.0 Mt/ha

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

National Average

Yield

Progressive Farmers

Average Yield

Biological Yield

Potential

Achievable potential

Wheat: Yield Gap & Crop Nutrition

Source: Pakistan Agricultural Research Council

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Balanced Nutrient Management

including Micronutrients

Source: Micronutrient Project, Nationally Coordinated

Control Balanced Fertilizer Use

MICRONUTRIENTS

Zinc (Zn), Boron (B), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Molybdenum ( Mo),

Chloride (Cl), Nickel (Ni)

• “Small but Mighty” – TFI

• Crop Deficiency: Low Yields,

Poor Quality Produce

• Humans & Animals: Growth, Reproduction

• Deficient - Pakistani Soils: Zn, B, Fe

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Micronutrients: R&D Strategy 1) Deficiency Diagnosis: Cropping Systems-based

2) Crop Responses: Greenhouse, Farmers’ Fields

3) Res. Info. Dissemination: Journals, Conferences,

Books, Brochures

4) Micronutrient Use Technologies: Cost-effective;

Practically Feasible

5) Field Demonstrations: Industry & Extension

6) Recommendations: Agric. Extension

8) Fertilizer Availability: Industry

Deficiency Diagnosis

Soil & Plant Sampling – Farmers' Fields

Lab Analyses

Data Interpretation

Micronutrient Deficiencies: Nature, Extent,

Severity, e.g., Cotton: Zn, 41%; B, 55%

Spatial Variability Mapping: Geostatistics;

Contour Mapping

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+Zinc Control

Source: Rashid & Din (1992)

ZINC Deficiency in Rice

Hadda ‘disease’ : Bronzing IRRI Scientists: Yashida & Tanaka (1969)

• Zn Deficiency: 80% of 2 M ha Rice Area

• Yield Increases with Zn: 8 – 35%

Zinc-enriched Nursery

Technology Paddy Yield

(t ha)

Zn Dose

(kg ha)

VCR

Field broadcast 3.75 5.0 10:1

Nursery beds 3.85 0.8 24:1

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Boron Nutrition of Cotton

Less Boll Shedding

More Boll Weight

+Boron Control

2.8

3.23.5 3.4

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Pa

dd

y Y

ield

(t/

ha

)

0 0.5 1 1.5 kg/ha

Boron Nutrition of Rice

22

16

27

17

15

12

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Pa

nic

le S

teri

lity

(%

)

Sup

er B

as

Bas

-385

KS-2

82

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Economics of Micronutrient Use

Crop

ZINC

Wheat

Rice

BORON

Cotton

Soil

Foliar

Rice

Basmati

IR-6

Yield Increase

13 %

11 %

14 %

12 %

15-25 %

30 %

Value-Cost Ratio*

7:1

10:1

15:1

30:1

32:1

28:1

* + Beneficial Residual Effect; Current Crop uptake, < 2%

Micronutrient Use:

Additional Benefits

Example: RICE: Boron Fertilizer Use

Produce Quality Improvement

Increased Milling Return

More Head-rice

More Elongation upon Cooking

Less Bursting upon Cooking

Residual Effect on wheat: Rice B uptake < 2%

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Pakistan: Crops Requiring

Micronutrient Fertilizer Field Crops Vegetables Fruits

Alfalfa Clovers Cotton Maize Mustard Peanut Rapeseed Rice Sorghum Sugarbeet Sugarcane Sunflower Tobacco Wheat

Beans Cabbage Carrot Cauliflower Lettuce Onion Potato Radish Spinach Sweet Potato Tomato Turnip

Apple Apricot Citrus Grapes Peach Pear Plum

ZINC

Crops & Vegetables Soil application 2-5 kg Zn ha-1

Fruits 2-3 Foliar Sprays 0.1% Zn solution

BORON

Crops & Vegetables Soil application 0.75 -1.0 kg B ha-1

2-3 Foliar Sprays 0.1% B solution

IRON

Crops & Fruits 3-4 Foliar Sprays 0.5% Ferrous Sulfate

1% Sequestrene

Micronutrient Use Recommendations

Source: Rashid (2006)

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Soil Zn Deficiency Low Yields &

Zn-Poor Crop Produce

Zinc Malnutrition: Globally, 1 Billion People

especially Developing Countries*

* Biesalski, H.K. Hidden Hunger. Springer (2013)

PAKISTAN: National Nutrition Survey (2011)

Children (< 5 Yr) 39%

Women: Pregnant 53%

Non-pregnant 44%

Poor Growth & Development: Stunted Physical & Mental Growth, Skin lesions, Diarrhea, …

Wheat Response to Zinc

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Wheat Grain Zn Concentration

39

47

52 52

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

Control Soil Zn Foliar Zn Soil + Foliar Zn

Gra

in

Zn

(m

g k

g-1

)

22

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Technology Transfer: A Challenging Issue

Farmers’ Field Days

Low-Zn Seed

GRATITUDE

My Family

East-West Center, Hawaii, USA

PhD Supervisor at Univ. of Hawaii:

Prof. Robert L. Fox

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council

My Colleagues: PARC & Elsewhere

Numerous Farmers

Fertilizer Industry: Engro, Fauji Fertilizer Co.