India's soil nutrient ratio improves marginally, but can it hold the line?

The main culprit for the degradation of the nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio is the overuse of urea as a main fertiliser because of its low price, which has been static for almost a decade

Last week, senior scientists at a Global Conference on Soil presented some alarming findings about India. As per their analysis, almost 90 per cent of India’s land is deficient in nitrogen, 90 per cent in phosphorus and 50 per cent in potassium. The analysis was based on a mapping of the country’s soil health. 

 

They also shared another important, more optimistic, figure: the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) in the soil, all three of which are critical ingredients for plant growth. According to the numbers they presented, between 2019 and 2023, the average NPK ratio in Indian soil has improved and is now closer to the ideal 4:2:1 ratio due to differential pricing and awareness of soil health among farmers due to the usage of so-called ‘soil health’ cards. 

 

The NPK ratio has gone from 8:4:1 in 2019 to 5:1.8:1 in 2023, significantly closer to the ideal number. However, how long this can be maintained remains to be seen, given the skewed pricing of urea.  

 

Urea prices main culprit behind poor soil health 

 

The Fertiliser Association of India, in an earlier note, also said that a major reason for the distortion is the unchanged retail price of urea as compared to other fertilisers, making it the cheapest available soil nutrient and causing it to being used in excess quantities to boost crop growth. 

 

The disproportionate NPK ratio is also despite the extensive distribution of the soil health cards and multiple programmes to promote balanced use of fertilisers. 

 

Experts hold the current subsidy regime responsible, wherein almost 90 per cent of production cost of a bag of urea is subsidies even as the retail price has remained the same in more than a decade. In that period, the prices of all other fertilisers such as DAP, NPKS, SSP and MOP have been revised. Not surprisingly, urea remains the go to soil nutrient for farmers.  

 

How can urea usage be reduced? 

 

One way to reduce the dependence of farmers on urea is to bring under the Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) regime. The preference for nitrogen – which is usually provided through extensive use of urea (which contains almost 46 per cent of just nitrogen) – poses grave challenges for the quality of soil as well as human health. 

 

In fiscal year 2022-23, of the total 64 million tonnes of fertilisers consumed in India, urea accounted for about 36 million tonnes, or more than half at about 56 per cent. In that period, DAP use was about 10.4 million tonnes, or 16.25 per cent, NPKS (in their various grades) at approximately 10 million tonnes, while Single Super Phosphate (SSP) and Muriate of Potash (MOP) accounted for about 6.6 million tonnes. 

 

Officials say it is crucial to spread awareness among farmers about the importance of shifting to eco-friendly solutions like microbial-based biological fertilisers and fungicides. These alternatives not only maintain soil health but also enhance nutrient efficiency in crops. 

 

As far as pricing goes, higher subsidy couple with fixed retail price means that a 45-kilogram bag of urea costs roughly around Rs 245 while a bag of DAP costs about Rs 1,350, similar to the price for other fertiliser types. 

 

Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) in India ranges between 20 per cent and 50 per cent, depending on the crop, as per an ICAR paper presented in 2018. However, this is much lower than global standards, which can go as high as 60-70 per cent for some crops. Low NUE also means that a significant portion of the urea that is used gets washed away or is dispersed in the air, polluting both water and air sources. 

 

Can nano fertilisers help? 

In a note on Indian agriculture released some years back, Barclays Research said that the potential use of nanofertilisers, a technology that employs micro-nutrients, could reduce fertiliser usage over time, and possibly reduce the fiscal subsidies that are currently provided for in the national budget.   

 

Nano urea, for example, claims to give a NUE of around 80 per cent. 

 

The Barclays note had pointed out that fertiliser subsidies, which account for almost 47 per cent of total major subsidies provided by the central government (FY24), are further complicated by the challenge of fixed prices, especially urea, which have not been raised in more than 10 years. 

 

Soil health card: Has it worked?  

 

A scheme to issue ‘Soil Health Cards’ was launched in February 2015 in a bid to promote balanced use of soil nutrients and boost crop productivity. The target was to issue soil health cards to as many as 14 crore farmers and then repeat the testing cycle at regular intervals. 

 

The SHC Soil Health Card provides information to farmers on nutrient status of their soil along with recommendations on appropriate dosage of nutrients for improving soil health and its fertility. 

 

It also gives farmers information about the nature of the soil so that they can customise their use of fertiliser and other chemicals based on the recommendations given. 

 

According to a central government study a few years ago, regular and systematic use of soil cards could cut the production cost of paddy by up to 25 per cent, while the cost of growing pulses and oilseeds could be reduced by as much as 10-15 per cent.