UNIT II

CROP NUTRITION

Essential Plant Nutrients

 MINERAL NUTRITION

• Nutrition may be defined as the supply and absorption

of chemical compounds needed for plant growth and
metabolism.

• Mineral nutrient is generally used to refer to an

inorganic ion obtained from the soil and required for
plant growth.
• Essential nutrients: An essential nutrient is a nutrient
that the body cannot synthesize on its own or not to an
adequate amount and must be provided by the diet.

• A total of 17 elements are essential for the growth and

full development of higher green plants

• Functional nutrients :-21 in number for plants.

• Out of 21 -17 are essential, 4( V, Co, Si, Na) are

functional.

• Nonessential nutrients: Are those nutrients that can

be made by the body; they may often also be absorbed
from consumed food.
 General role of essential elements
• It may perform a nutritive role by being a component of
one or more of the major classes of plant constituents.

• It may have a catalytic role either as an action for of an

enzyme or as an integral component of an enzyme.

• It may function as a free ion and thereby exert

balancing role in maintaining electroneutrality within
plant cells (e.g. Potassium).
 Essential plant nutrients
A total of 17 elements are essential for the growth and full
development of higher green plants according to the criteria laid
down by Arnon and Stout (1939). These criteria are:

• A deficiency of an essential nutrient makes it impossible for

the plant to complete the vegetative or reproductive stage of
its life cycle.

• Such deficiency is specific to the element in question and can

be prevented or corrected only by supplying this element.

• The element must directly be involved in the nutrition and

metabolism of the plant and have a direct influence on plant
apart from its possible effects in correcting some micro-
biological or chemical conditions of the soil or other culture
medium.
 Classification Of Essential Plant Nutrients
(a) Based on the relative Quantity that is normally present in Plants
 (b) Based on chemical nature

• Metals: K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Co and V etc.

• Non-Metals: C, H, O, N, P, S, B, Mo, C1, Si, etc.

• Cations: NH4+ , K+, Ca2+, Fe2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Zn2+

• Anions: NO3-, HPO4-2 , H2PO4- , H2PO4−, SO42−, BO33−,
MoO42−, Cl− etc.
(c) Classification of plant nutrients based on biochemical
behavior and physiological functions
Mengel ‘s plant nutrient classification

Mengel and Kirkby (1987) have divided essential plant nutrients into
four groups (pl. see Table on the next slide).

Group I includes C, H, O, N and S, which are major constituents of

the organic plant materials (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, etc.).

Group II includes P and B, which are involved in biochemical

reactions such as esterification.

Group III includes K, Ca, Mg, Mn and Cl. These elements are
present in the free ionic state or are adsorbed to indiffusible organic
anions (e.g. absorption of Ca2+ by the carboxylic group of pectins).

Group IV includes Fe, Cu, Zn and Mo. These elements are

predominantly presented as chelates in the plant.
(d) Nutrient mobility in plants
Effect of pH on Nutrient availability
ESSENTIAL PLANT NUTRIENTS ROLE IN
PLANT GROWTH
Nutrients Form in which taken up by plants
C CO2, HCO3-
H H2O
O O2
N NH4+, NO3-, N2 (in fixation)
P H2PO4-1, HPO4-2
K K+
S SO4-2, SO2 (gaseous absorption in leaves
Mg Mg+2
Ca Ca+2
B B(OH)3
Mn Mn+2
Cl Cl-1
Fe Fe+2
Cu Cu+2
Zn Zn++
Mo MoO4--
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms Control of Symptoms under
of nutrients deficiency excess nutrients
N 1. It is constituent of 1. Lower leaves 1. Use of 1. Blackening
chlorophyll. turn yellow nitrogen around tips of
fertilizer in older leaves
2. N makes plant dark green 2. Growth of plant the soil
is stunted 2. Delays maturity
3. It increases vegetative 2. Foliar spray
growth, protein content 3. Shedding of of urea 3. Encourages
and cation exchange leaves and fruits Lodging
capacity in plant roots
4. Makes plant
4. Encourage the formation more susceptible
of good quality foliage to pests and
diseases
5. Poor root growth
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms Control of Symptoms under
of nutrients deficiency excess nutrients
P 1. Stimulates root growth 1. Leaves become 1. Application of 1. Necrosis and
and formation smaller in size phosphatic tip dieback
fertilizers in the
2. Helps in cell division 2. Leaves and soil, e.g., super 2. Interveinal
stems become phosphate chlorosis in
3. Hasten maturity purple younger leaves
4. Makes plant more tolerant 3. Delay in 3. Marginal
to drought, cold, insects maturity scorch of older
and diseases leaves
4. Growth is
5. Increase P and Ca in plants stunted
6. Increase tillers and ratio of
grain to straw in crop
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms Control of Symptoms under
of nutrients deficiency excess nutrients
K 1. K–helps in translocation 1. Margin of leaves 1. Use of potassic 1. Plants have
turn brown and fertilizer in the luxury
2. Imparts, vigour and dry up soil e.g., consumption
growth to plants muriate of hence not
2. The older leaves potash toxic
3. Makes plant more tolerant develop brown
to drought, cold insects colour
and diseases.
3. Stunted growth
4. Reduces lodging
5. Increases the availability
of N and P
6. Increases the size of root
and tuber
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms Control of Symptoms under
of nutrients deficiency excess nutrients
Ca 1. Promotes early root 1. Terminal bud 1. Use of
growth dies calcium
carbonate or
2. Ca is constituent of cell 2. Leaves become
calcium
wrinkled
3. Increases stiffness of hydroxide in
straw (stem) 3. New leaves the soil
shows
4. Improves soil structure 2. Use of
symptoms
5. Keeps soil neutral gypsum
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms Control of Symptoms under
of nutrients deficiency excess nutrients
Mg 1. Constituent of 1. Vein of leaves 1. Foliar 1. May induce K
chlorophyll remain green application of deficiency
and inter-veinal magnesium
2. Increases photosynthesis
chlorosis sulphate
3. Regulates uptake of (Epsum)
2. Symptoms on
nutrients
older leaves
4. Promotes the formation
of oils and fats
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms Control of Symptoms under
of nutrients deficiency excess nutrients
Mg 1. Constituent of 1. Vein of leaves 1. Foliar 1. May induce K
chlorophyll remain green application of deficiency
and inter-veinal magnesium
2. Increases photosynthesis
chlorosis sulphate
3. Regulates uptake of (Epsum)
2. Symptoms on
nutrients
older leaves
4. Promotes the formation
of oils and fats
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms Control of Symptoms under
of nutrients deficiency excess nutrients
S 1. Helps in chlorophyll 1. The whole leaf 1. Foliar 1. Reduction in
formation in plant has application of leaf size
light green sulphur or
2. Stimulates root growth
colour sulphate
seed formation and
Spraying of
nodule formation
0.5% Ferrous
3. Encourages plant growth sulphate on
4. S is constituent of foliage
enzymes and proteins
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms Control of Symptoms under
of nutrients deficiency excess nutrients
Fe 1. Helps in chlorophyll 1. Yellowing of 1. Spraying of 1. Bronzing of
formation new check 0.5% Ferrous older leaves
leaves sulphate on is common in
2. Acts as an oxygen carrier low land rice
foliage
2. Chlorosis grown under
3. Helps in protein
acid soils
synthesis
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms Control of Symptoms under
of nutrients deficiency excess nutrients
Mn 1. Acts as a catalyst in 1. Brown patch on 1. Soil or foliar 1. Spots on the
oxidation reduction leaves application of veins of the
reaction manganese leaf blade
2. Reddening of and leaf
sulphate
2. Act as activator of many leaves in cotton sheath
enzymes 2. Stunted plant
3. Helps in chlorophyll
synthesis
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms of Control of deficiency Symptoms under
nutrients excess nutrients
B 1. Helps in uptake 1. The leaves thicken 1. Foliar spray of 1. Inter veinal
and utilization of and margin roll boric acid or chlorosis at the
calcium upward borax tips of the older
leaves along the
2. Helps in protein 2. Younger leaves are 2. Use of boron margins
synthesis dwarf in soil 2. Leaves turn
3. Top-rot diseases of brown and dry
tobacco up contd. Not
common
Toxicity
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms of Control of deficiency Symptoms under
nutrients excess nutrients
Mo 1. Helps in 1. Petiole of the 1. Soil or foliar 1. Not common
absorbing leaves remain application of
atmospheric intact but shedding sodium
nitrogen by of margin and molybdate or
nodule bacteria other part of ammonium
in legume leaves molybdate
2. Helps in protein 2. Curling of leaves
synthesis
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms of Control of Symptoms
nutrients deficiency under
excess
nutrients
Cu 1. Copper activates some 1. Chlorotic streaks on 1. Application of 1. significant
enzymes in plants which either side of the CuO or CuSO4 growth
are involved in lignin midrib reduction
synthesis and it is
2. Dark brown necrotic
essential in several
lesions on leaf tips
enzyme systems.
3. Bluish green and
2. It is also required in
chlorotic streaks
photosynthesis, plant res
near the leaf tip
piration and assists
in plant metabolism of 4. Rolling of new
carbohydrates and leaves
proteins.
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms of Control of deficiency Symptoms under
nutrients excess nutrients
Cl 1. Essential for 1. Yellowing of leaves 1. Potassium 1. Burning of leaf
photosynthesis (white plant) chloride tips or margins
process application in 2. Reduce leaf size
the soil
2. Keeps osmotic
pressure normal
in cell sap
Nutrient Role of nutrients Deficiency symptoms of Control of deficiency Symptoms under
nutrients excess nutrients
Zn 1. Constituent of a 1. White leaf become 1. Soil application 1. Induces iron
number of rusty-brown in of Zinc chlorosis
enzymes colour sulphate @ 25-
50 Kg/ha.
2. Helps in 2. Stunted growth
formation of 2. Foliar
growth application of
hormones 0.5% zinc
sulphate
3. Act as catalyst in
chlorophyll
formation
Organic Manures
 Organic manures include plant and animal by-
products such as oil cakes fish manures and dried
blood from slaughter houses.

 Before their organic nitrogen used by the crops it is

converted through bacterial action into readily usable
ammonical N and nitrate N.

 These manures are therefore, relatively slow acting,

but they supply available N for a longer period.
 Benefits of Organic Manures

• Organic manures supply plant nutrients including micronutrients.

• Organic manures improve physical properties of the soil, water

holding capacity, hydraulic conductivity, infiltration capacity of
the soil. CO2 released during decomposition combines with
water and forms carbonic acid and act as CO2 fertilizer.

• Organic manures supply energy (food) for microbes and

increase availability of nutrients and improve soil fertility.

• Green manures have the additional advantage of fixing atmos-

pheric nitrogen leading to nitrogen economy in crop production
and green manures draw nutrients from lower layers and
concentrate them in the surface soil for the use of succeeding
crop.
Sources of Organic manures

1. By products of farming
and allied industries.

2. FYM, droppings, crop

waste, residues, sewage,
sludge, industrial waste.
 Classification of Organic Manures
A. Bulky organic manures
(i) FYM: (a) Cattle manure, (b) Sheep manure, (c) Poultry manure
(ii) Compost:
(a) Village/rural compost from farm-wastes
(b) Town/urban compost from town refuses
(iii) Sewage and sludge

B. Concentrated organic manures

1. Oil cakes
(a) Edible oil cakes (i) Mustard cake, (ii) Groundnut cake,
(b) Non edible oil cakes (i) Castor cake, (ii) Neem cake,
2. Slaughter house wastes -(i) Blood meal, and (ii) Bone meal
3. Fish meal
4. Guano -Material obtained from the excreta and dead bodies of sea bird

C. Green manures
(a) Leguminous plant (example: Sunn hemp, Sesbania sp., mungbean, cowpea, guar,
senji, berseem)
(b) Non-leguminous plant (example: Sorghum, pearl millet, maize, sunflower)

D. Green leaf manures

Green leaves of trees like neem, pungam, glyricidia, vadhanarayana etc.
A. Bulky organic manures
1. Farm yard Manure
• Farm yard Manure is prepared basically using cow dung,
cow urine, waste straw and other dairy wastes.
• It is highly useful and some of its properties are
 FYM is rich in nutrients

 When cow dung and urine are mixed, a balanced

nutrition is made available to the plants.

 Availability of Potassium and Phosphorus from FYM

is similar to that from inorganic sources.

 Application of FYM improves soil fertility.

Nutritional Status of FYM (%)
Nitrogen 0.5000
Phosphorus 0.2500
Potassium 0.4000
Calcium 0.0800
Sulfur 0.0200
Zinc 0.0040
Copper 0.0003
Manganese 0.0070
Iron 0.4500
 2. Compost

• It is a manure derived from decomposed plant residues

usually made by fermenting waste plant materials heaped or
put in a pit usually in alternate layers with a view to bring the
plant nutrients in a more readily available form.

• Super compost: Compost fortified with super phosphate is

called as super compost.
B. Concentrated Organic Manures

• Edible oil cakes which can be safely fed to livestock; e.g.: Groundnut
cake, Coconut cake etc.,
• Non edible oil cakes which are not fit for feeding livestock; e.g.: Castor
cake, Neem cake, Mahua cake etc.,
• Both edible and non-edible oil cakes can be used as manures.

• However, edible oil cakes are fed to cattle and non-edible oil cakes are
used as manures especially for horticultural crops.

• Nutrients present in oil cakes, after mineralization, are made available

to crops 7 to 10 days after application.
Oilcakes need to be well powdered before application for even
distribution and quicker decomposition.
C. Green Manures

• India has changed from a region of food scarcity to food

sufficiency by increased fertilizer use with subsidized prices, but
use of organic manures including green manure, declined
substantially.

• Inorganic fertilizers are becoming more expensive, therefore

sustainability of soil productivity has become a question.

• Hence, alternate sources to supplement inorganic fertilizers are

thought.

• Green manuring are low cost and effective technology in minimizing

.
cost of fertilizers and safeguarding productivity.
Green Manure Crops

DHAINCHA MANILA AGATHI

(Sesbania aculeata) (Sesbania rostrata)
 Green Manure Crops
SUNNHEMP WILD INDIGO
(Crotalaria juncea) (Tephrosia purpurea)
 Fertilizers
The chemicals which are industrially manufactured and contain
plant nutrients are known as fertilizers. Nutrient content is
higher in fertilizers than in organic manures and nutrients are
released immediately just after its application in the soils
 Classification of
fertilizers

According to its According to the According to the According to nutrient

manufacturing and primary concentration of primary physical form of present
plant nutrients present plant nutrient fertilizer

Straight Low analysis Solid Nitrogenous

fertilizers fertilizers fertilizers fertilizers

Complax High analysis Liquid Phosphatic

fertilizers fertilizers fertilizers fertilizers

Mixed Potassic
fertilizers fertilizers
According to its manufacturing and primary plant
nutrients present in it
i. Straight fertilizers:
The chemicals which supply only one primary plant nutrient,
namely nitrogen or phosphorus or potassium are known as
straight fertilizers. Urea (46% N), Potassium Chloride (58-60%
K2O), Potassium Sulphate (48-50% K2O) and Single Super
Phosphate (16-22% P2O5), Ammonium Sulphate (20.5% N,
23.4 % S), are the examples of straight fertilizers.

Urea Potassium Chloride SSP

ii. Complex fertilizers:
The chemicals which supply two or three primary plant nutrients of
which two primary nutrients are in chemical combination are known
as complex fertilizers. Theses fertilizers are produced in granular
form. Diammonium Phosphate (18% N, 46% P2O5), Ammonium
Phosphate (20% P2O5, 20% N), Ammonium phosphate Sulphate
(16% N, 20% P2O5) are some of the examples of complex fertilizers.

DAP Ammonium phosphate Sulphate

iii. Mixed fertilizers:
Physical mixture of straight fertilizers is known as mixed fertilizers.
They contain 2 or 3 primary plant nutrients. These are made by
thoroughly mixing the ingredients either mechanically or manually.
Eg. Nitro phosphate with potash and 15:15:15 are the examples of
mixed fertilizer.
2.According to the concentration of primary plant nutrient

i. Low analysis fertilizers:

The chemicals which contain less than 25% of one of
the primary nutrients are known as low analysis
fertilizers. SSP (16% P2O5), Ammonium
Phosphate(20% P2O5, 20% N), and NaNO3(16%N)
are some of the examples of low analysis fertilizers.

Sodium Nitrate
ii. High analysis fertilizers:
The chemicals which contain more than 25% of one of the primary
nutrients are known as high analysis fertilizers. Urea (46% N),
Potassium Sulphate (48-50% K2O) and Diammonium Phosphate
(18% N, 46% P2O5) are the examples of high analysis fertilizers.

Urea
 3. According to the physical form of fertilizer

i. Solid fertilizers: Most of the fertilizers are in solid form. These

are found in several forms like powder (SSP), crystal (AS), prills
(urea, DAP, Super phosphate, super-granules (Super granule
urea).

Ammonium Sulphate
ii. Liquid fertilizers:
Some of the fertilizers are available in liquid form (Anhydrous
Ammonia; 82% N, Urea-Ammonium Nitrate; 28-32% N) for
applying either with irrigation water or for direct application .
 According to its nutrients present in it
i. Nitrogenous fertilizers: The chemicals which contain only
nitrogen element are known as nitrogenous fertilizers.
• NaNO3, Ca(NO3)2 , Ammonium Sulphate, Ammonium Chloride,
Ammonium Nitra etc. are the examples of nitrogenous fertilizers.

ii. Phosphatic fertilizers: The chemicals which contain only

phosphorus element are known as phosphatic fertilizers.
 Water soluble phosphoric acids(SSP, DAP), citric acid
soluble phosphoric acid (Basic slag, 14-18 % P2O5, Di
calcium Phosphate, 34-39 P2O5) and Phosphoric acid not
soluble in water and citric acid (Rock phosphate, 20-25%
P2O5, Raw bone meal, 20-25% P2O5) are the examples of
phosphatic fertilizers.
iii. Potassic fertilizers:
 The chemicals which contain only potassium element
are known as potassic fertilizers.
 Potassium Chloride (58-60% K2O), Potassium Sulphate (48-
50% K2O) and Potassium Nitrate (13% N, 44% K2O) are the
examples of potassic fertilizers.
 Chloride form(KCl) is not suitable for crops like tobacco
and potato while non-chloride form is suitable for these
crops
TIME OF APPLICATION
 Before preparatory tillage:
Bulky organic manures, green
manures, soil amendments and
soil conditioners are applied
before preparatory tillage for
thorough mixing with the soil.

 Basal dressing: Application of

manures and fertilizers before
last ploughing/puddling or
before sowing or planting.
 At sowing or planting:
Concentrated organic manures,
readily soluble and higher mobile
fertilizers, slow release fertilizers,
starter dose of N fertilizer to
legume crops and fertilizer for
specific nutrient deficient soil are
applied during this time.

 Top dressing: It is the application

of manures and fertilizers to the
established crop within crop
duration. Top dressing may be done
to the soil or to the foliage. Split
application of nitrogen and
potassium is done throughout the
cropping period to increase the
fertilizer use efficiency.
Methods of fertilizer application
Fertilizers are applied by different methods to make nutrients
available to the crops to reduce fertilizer losses and for easy of
application. Methods depend on the nature of the soil, crop and
fertilizer material.

I. Solid Form
1. Broadcasting - The manures and fertilizers are scattered uniformly
over the field before planting the crop and are incorporated by tilling
or cultivating
2. Drilling and placement - Fertilizers are placed in the soil furrows formed at the
desired depth.
Placement can be done by the following ways.

(i) Plough sole placement - In this

method , the fertilizer is placed in a
continuous band on the bottom of
furrow during the process of
ploughing. Each band is covered as
the next furrow is turned.

(ii) Deep placement - Fertilizers or

manures are placed at the bottom of
the top soil at a depth of 10-12 cm,
especially in the puddle rice soil
ammonical nitrogenous fertilizers are
placed in the reduced zone. It ensures
better distribution of fertilizers in root
zone soil and prevents loss of
nutrients by run off.
(iii) Sub soil application -
Fertilizers are placed in the subsoil
especially in humid and sub humid
areas where subsoils are strongly
acidic, due to which the level of
available plant nutrients is
extremely low. Phosphatic and
potassic fertilizers are applied by
this method.
3. Location or spot application - Fertilizers are placed in the root zone
or the spot near the roots from which roots can absorb easily.
(i) Contact of drill placement - Fertilizers or manures are placed at the
time of drilling for placing the seeds. Fertilizers or manures will
have good contact with the seeds or seedlings.

(ii) Band placement - This is the placement of manures or fertilizers or

both in bands on the side or both sides of the row at about 5 cm
away from the seed or plant in any direction.
Band placement is of three types.
(a) Hill placement - In widely spaced
crops, like cotton, castor, cucurbits
fertilizers or manures are applied
on both sides of plants only but
not continuously along the row.

(b) Row placement - In narrow

spaced crops between rows
(Example–Sugarcane, maize,
tobacco, potato) manures or
fertilizers are placed on one or
both sides of the row in continuous
bands.

(c) Circular placement - Application

of manures and fertilizers around
the hill or the trunk of fruit tree
crops in the active root zone.
Liquid form
1.Foliar application
 It refers to the spraying of fertilizer solutions containing one or more nutrients on
the foliage of growing plants.
 Several nutrient elements are readily absorbed by leaves when they are dissolved in
water and sprayed on them.
 The concentration of the spray solution has to be controlled, otherwise serious
damage may result due to scorching of the leaves.
 Foliar application is effective for the application of minor nutrients like iron,
copper, boron, zinc and manganese.
 Sometimes insecticides are also applied along with fertilizers.
2.Application through irrigation water (Fertigation)
 It refers to the application of water soluble fertilizers through
irrigation water.
 The nutrients are thus carried into the soil in solution.
 Generally nitrogenous fertilizers are applied through irrigation
water.
Fertilizer use efficiency/Nutrient use efficiency
 Fertilizer use efficiency/Nutrient use efficiency

• Fertilizer use efficiency is the output of any crop per unit of the
nutrient applied under a specified set of soil and climatic
conditions.

• Fertilizers are applied to supplement nutrient requirement of

the crop.

• After determination of nutrient requirement of a crop for a

given yield and contribution of nutrients from different sources,
particularly, from the soil source, it is necessary to supplement
the balance from the inorganic sources
• When a fertilizer is applied all of its nutrient(s) are not absorbed
by the crop. The interactions between soil-crop-season and other
factors are quite significant. Only a fraction of the nutrient(s) is
utilized by the crop.

• Efficiency in any system is an expression of obtainable output

with the addition of unit amount of input.

• The ratio of energy intake and energy of the produced biomass

i.e. of input and output is called ecological efficiency.
70
 Low nutrient use efficiency Causes

Nutrient Efficiency Cause of low efficiency

Immobilization, volatilization, denitrification,

Nitrogen 30-50 %
leaching
Phosphorus 15-20% Fixation in soils Al – P, Fe – P, Ca – P
Potassium 70-80% Fixation in clay - lattices
Sulphur 8-10% Immobilization, Leaching with water
Micro nutrients (Zn,
1-2% Fixation in soils
Fe, Cu, Mn, B)

 The loss of N through leaching and volatilization creates pollution and has
environmental implications.

71
 The NUE/FUE can be expressed in several ways

Mosier et al. (2004) described four agronomic indices to describe NUE:

1.Partial factor productivity- PFP, kg crop yield per kg input applied

2.Agronomic efficiency- AE, kg crop yield increase per kg nutrient

applied

3.Apparent recovery efficiency- RE, kg nutrient taken up per kg

nutrient applied

4.Physiological efficiency- PE, kg yield increase per kg nutrient taken

up
 Partial Factor Productivity (PFP) kg crop yield per kg input applied

• Is a useful measure of nutrient use efficiency because it

provides an integrative index that quantifies total economic
output relative to utilization of all nutrient resources in the
system.

• For a given yield level, optimum factor productivity from

applied nutrients is achieved when the use of indigenous soil
nutrients is maximum and the efficiency of applied nutrients in
producing economic yield is high.
Agronomic efficiency kg crop yield increase per kg nutrient applied

• Agronomists usually express the efficiency of fertilizer nutrient in kg of

grain yield produced per kg of applied nutrient

• It refers to the additional produce obtained in kg per kg of an applied

nutrient.
Nutrient Recovery
RE, kg nutrient taken up per kg nutrient applied
• Nutrient Recovery (NR) refers to the actual amount of Nutrient taken
up from the fertilizers.
Physiological efficiency

• Physiologists, define the efficiency of nutrient utilization

in kg of grain yield produced per kg of nutrient absorbed.

• Two efficiencies (Agronomic and physiological) can be

related by introducing, percentage of nutrient recovery (a
third parameter worked out as above).
 Factor influencing nutrient use efficiency (NUE)

To increase the fertilizer use efficiency the nutrient must

be available at the time of its requirement by the crop, in
right form and quantity.

On application there occur certain inevitable/evitable losses of

nutrients that reduce the efficiency. The losses are due to

(i) leaching
(ii)volatilization
(iii)Immobilization
(iv)Chemical reaction between various components in the mixture
(v)Change in capacity to supply nutrients,
(vi) Unfavourable effects associated with fertilizer application.
Each component of loss can be reduced to a great extent by
management of the soil fertilizer crop system.

• how much of the fertilizer to be applied,

• what/which (type of fertilizer) to be applied,
• when to be applied (time of application),
• how (method of application),
• where (placement of fertilizer) and
• Other considerations (cost, availability of fertilizer, labour, ease of
application, awareness on benefits of fertilizer use, etc.).
 How Much

• Inorganic source is a supplement to other sources of nutrients.

• Among other sources, the most important one is soil source.

• Availability of nutrients from soil and fertilizer sources can be

estimated from field experiments involving response to fertilizers
and tracer techniques (using radio-active isotopes).
 What and Which (Type of fertilizer)

• Fertilizers vary with respect to their solubility besides their

grade.
• Choice of fertilizer is location specific and needs to be found out
by field experimentation.
• The choice is more with respect to nitrogen and phosphatic
fertilizers than for potassic.
• Studies on crop response is also more for N than for P or K
fertilizers because leaching loss is more in nitrogenous fertilizer
and its residual effect is nil or negligible.
• In case of P, its indirect, residual and cumulative effects are more
important.
 When to apply

• The objective of time of application is to get maximum benefit

from the fertilizer nutrient.

• If the nutrient is applied too earlier than the time of

requirement, it is lost in different ways or is absorbed more
than required.

• If applied late it is either not absorbed or if absorbed not

utilized for the purpose and only gets accumulated in plant
parts.
 Where to apply (placements)

• The objective of placement of fertilizer is to make the nutrient

available easily to the crop.

• It should be near to the roots.

• Application may be surface broadcast, at furrow bottom, placed

deep at or slightly below the root zone, top dressed, side dressed
or to foliage.

• This depends on type of crop, rooting pattern, feeding area and

ease of application.

• The choice of method of application depends on soil-crop-

fertilizer interaction too.
Other factors

• Proper control of pests and diseases is must for realizing maximum

effectiveness from fertilizers.

• Weeds, if not controlled effectively particularly during early stages

(7-21 days) of crop growth in kharif season, take away about 25 to
30 per cent of the applied plant nutrients. Therefore, the weed
control, particularly during early stages of crop growth is essential.

• Fertilizer recommendations should preferably be based on crop

sequence for multiple cropping. Application of FYM and phosphate
should preferably be made in wet and dry season, respectively.

• Balanced fertilization should be practiced based on the soil test.

• To the extent possible, using just enough water at different
physiological growth stages as recommended for the crop being
grown controls irrigation rate. It is better to give priority to
irrigated fields as compared to un-irrigated fields/crops as irrigated
crops respond better to fertilizers.

• Ensure proper plant spacing.

• Plant/sow the crop timely to get maximum benefit from fertilizers.

• Higher yielding varieties should be preferred over local varieties.

• Most responsive and best-suited crops should be selected to get

maximum benefits of the limited quantity of fertilizers.