Tips on improving soil fertilty

Farming is a traditional avocation for majority of rural Indians. Traditionally, they were practicing time tested agricultural practices which jelled well with the nature. This helped them to have a very fertile soil.

The need to increase the yeild to meet the growing population made traditional agriculturalists to adopt modern practices. This lead to inorganic methods of cultication. Chemical fertiliser, pesticides, insecticides, fungicides are an integral part of the inorganic cultivation practices.

The majority rural Indians did not have adequate education, in the formal sense of education. The institutions that propogated inorganic cultivation techniques did not guide and prepare the rural farmers properly. Adequate package of practices were not propogated and monitered. Added to this subsidised fertiliser supplies, ensured mindless application of fertilisers. In the initial stages, chemical fertilisers combined with the then soil fertility helped in multiplying yeild. This tempted the farmer to depend on chemical fertilisers.

This mindless dependence on chemical fertilisers altered the ph levels in the soil. Soil got disturbed and it in turn lost it fertility gradually. The humus in the soil got totally destroyed by the heavy application of chemical fertilisers.

Due to the application of heavy dose of chemical fertilisers, the microorganisms, earthworms and other helpful bacterias in the soil got destroyed. The repeated ploughing of the soil with the help of heavy equipments further compated the soil. The soil became hard and in turn the soil was not condusive for active germination of the seeds.

Is this situation irreversible? No it is reversible. With focussed efforts over an adequate period of time, we can revive the soil health through traditonal methods.

We shall look at the traditional methods to improve the soil health in the coming post.