Sustainable Management of Acid Soils : Technologies and their Transfer

摘要

A sizeable portion (30 Mha) of cultivable land spread over 16 states in the country having soil pH less than 5.5, needs regular amelioration with liming materials namely, lime, dolomite, paper mill sludge, basic slag etc. Application of lime @ 0.1 LR (lime requirement) for monocotyledonous and 0.2 LR for di-cotyledonous crops, below the seed zone, preferably mixed with organic manures behind the plough on the day of sowing of seeds or 1-2 days before planting of seedlings helps in sustenance of crop productivity on these soils. This practice of liming needs to be religiously followed before sowing or planting of each crop. This has a potential to increase the yield of target crops by an average of 16% with an income of Rs. 6.0 per rupee invested on liming material. It is estimated that management of such problem soils can add about 30 million tonnes (Mt) of extra food grain to the national food basket besides considerably improving the farm income. This paper critically analyses the integration of liming with improved soil and crop management practices and addresses the concerns coming in the way of successful technology transfer for improving soil health and sustaining crop productivity.