Agrochemical Use for Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition

For Sustainable agriculture production and to meet the demands of food security and international nutrition standards, specified management systems for soil fertility are necessary to increase plant nutrition.

The use of Agrochemicals in agriculture may enhance the yields but it can be a little bit harmful for the environment, ecosystem, and human health. These risks can be minimized by using new techniques of organic farming which includes farming by using synthetic agrochemicals manufactured from animal and plant wastes and specified form of bacteria.

Agrochemical manufacturers are putting their efforts to introduce new crop protection products that can help to maintain high yields and a healthy environment as well.

Plant nutrition and soil fertility are the main goals for the current market of agrochemical manufacturers.

Soil Productivity and fertility:

Soil productivity is the ability of soil to provide all chemical nutrition that is necessary for plant growth. The chemical essential for plant growth are Ni, Cl, Zn, B, Mo, Cu, Mn, Fe, Mg, Ca, K, S, P, N, O, C and H. On the other hand, soil fertility is the ability of soil for producing the maximum number of plants depending upon soil water holding capacity, its temperature and biological properties.

Soil productivity and fertility can be increased by the proper use of agrochemicals and soil management techniques which are defined below.

Use of Organic residue:

These include the leftovers of both animals and plants. The organic residues can be fresh or composted depending upon the nature of their use. They are very beneficial in improving soil productivity and fertility.

Using organic residue techniques are not very common due to the unavailability of enough residues. Agrochemical manufacturers are trying to get these benefits through the use of special types of bacteria.

Use of cover crops:

In this technique, when the harvesting season for one crop starts, another crop is sowed before harvesting the first one. Both crops have different nature and require different nutrients for their growth. This technique is very useful to avoid soil erosion and to get maximum yield from different crops in the same season.

To get more benefit by using this technique agrochemical manufacturer are trying for manufacture special types of hybrid seeds that can help in applying this technique across the India.

Tillage Systems:

The tillage system is biological, chemical, and physical manipulation of soil to provide optimum conditions for seed establishment, emergence, and seed germination. This system is basically a complex series of operations depending upon the leftover of the crop after harvesting.

The tillage system is very helpful for getting high yields but still, this system is not too applicable due to unawareness of former's.

Agrochemical companies in India are trying to spread awareness about this technique with the help of the Indian Government and also trying to make these operations simple and easy to understand for local farmers.

Nutrition in plants:

Nutrition is the series of steps in which living organisms get their food and use it in replacement of tissues and growth. There are basically two types of nutrients used by plants.

• Essential Nutrients:

Without these nutrients, plants could not survive. They are further categorized into 2 subgroups that are macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are nutrients that plant needed in large amounts while micronutrients are nutrients that are required in small portions.

• Non-Essential or beneficiary nutrients:

These are the nutrients that are not essential but are used to meet the international standards for nutrition and to get high yields.

The role of agrochemical manufacturers for plant nutrition is very important. Researches are in process about nutrition uptake of plants to get good combinations of nutrients that can help in boosting the crop yields.

Role of agrochemicals in soil fertility and plant nutrition:

• Mineral fertilizers:

Mineral fertilizers are used to eliminate the mineral deficiency in cultivated lands. Fertilizers are of two types organic and inorganic. Organic are manufactured from plant and animal wastes and are considered as eco-friendly. On the other hand, inorganic is commercially synthesized by agrochemical companies.

Organic is expensive and is not affordable by local farmers. Agrochemical manufacturers are trying to make organic fertilizers that can be cost-effective and affordable for local formers without any worse impact on the environment.

• Liming and acidifying materials:

Acidification of soils is a big issue across the globe and in India also. Indian agrochemical manufactures are introducing new techniques to limit soil acidification by the use of calcium calcite.

There are also a lot of soil conditioners introduced by agrochemical companies that are very beneficial for increasing the water holding and aeration capacity of soils that are very important factors for soil fertility.