Uttar Pradesh contributing nearly 19 per cent to the total foodgrain production occupies significant place in Indian agriculture. The present agricultural scenario in major part of the state is characterised by intensive production systems with heavy withdrawal of plant nutrients, and inadequate replenishment through fertilisers. The exhaustive crop management prqactices followed in the state as a whole have led to emergence of multiple unutrient deficiencies in the soils of different agro-climatic zones. Thus degradation in soil resources in terms of depletion of native nutrient reserves may have the direct bearing on national food security. Apparent nutrient balances worked out considering possible nutrient addition through different sources viz., fertilisers, organic manures, crop residues and irrigation water, and removal by crops have presented an alarming picture of negative K balance in the all nine zones. This is particularly because the use of K fertilisers is largely neglected, as apparent from the wide N:P_2O_5:K_2O consumption ration of 20.8:6.8:1.0 in the state. The state has vast potential of organic manures, crop residues and other recyclable wastes, which need to be tapped to restore and improve soil health. The state has vast potential of organic manures, crop residues and other recyclable wastes, which need to be tapped to restore and improve soil health. The present paper reviews critically the status of nutrient mining in the state, and also offers suggestions for preventing/minimizing the threats of unsustainability owing to exhaustive farming-induced degradation of soil fertility.
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