Soil Health and Sustainability in India | UPSC

Introduction Of Soil Health and Sustainability in India

• Soil health is crucial for agricultural productivity, environmental sustainability, and food security. 
• On December 5, 2024, the world marked the 10th World Soil Day under the theme “Caring for Soils – Measure, Monitor, and Manage.” 
• This theme emphasizes the need for effective soil conservation and management practices to ensure long-term agricultural growth.
•  In India, where agriculture remains a vital part of the economy, soil degradation due to nutrient deficiencies and unsustainable fertiliser practices has emerged as a significant concern. 

Current State of Nutrient Deficiency in Indian Soil

• Indian soils are facing severe nutrient deficiencies, which directly impact soil fertility and agricultural output. Addressing these deficiencies is critical for maintaining soil health and ensuring sustained crop yields.
• Nitrogen Deficiency: Less than 5% of Indian soils have adequate nitrogen levels. Nitrogen is essential for plant growth as it helps in photosynthesis and overall plant metabolism. Its deficiency stunts plant growth, reducing crop yields significantly.
• Micronutrient Deficiencies: Deficiencies in micronutrients such as zinc, iron, sulfur, and boron are also prevalent across Indian soils. These nutrients are essential for optimal plant growth and, when lacking, contribute to lower yields and poor plant health.
• Phosphate Deficiency: Only 40% of Indian soils meet the required phosphate levels. Phosphate is crucial for root development, flowering, and fruiting. Phosphate deficiency limits root growth and flowering, leading to decreased crop productivity.
• Potash Deficiency: Around 32% of Indian soils suffer from potash deficiency. Potash is important for plant disease resistance, water regulation, and overall growth. Deficient soils are more vulnerable to plant diseases, further compromising productivity.
• Organic Carbon Deficiency: Only 20% of Indian soils have sufficient organic carbon. Organic carbon is vital for improving soil structure, water retention, and microbial activity. Its lack leads to poor soil health, reduced fertility, and lower agricultural productivity.

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Role of the Fertiliser Sector in Soil Health

• The fertiliser sector plays a pivotal role in ensuring the availability of essential nutrients, driving agricultural productivity, and contributing to India’s status as a global agricultural leader. However, it faces multiple challenges in maintaining soil health.
• Agricultural Dominance: The fertiliser industry has significantly contributed to India’s agricultural success. Between 2020-21 and 2022-23, India exported 85 million tonnes of cereals and provided near-free grain to over 813 million people during the pandemic. These efforts have reinforced India’s position as a global agricultural powerhouse.
• Sustainability Initiatives: To improve nutrient efficiency and reduce environmental impact, the fertiliser sector encourages the use of advanced products such as slow-release fertilisers and fertilisers fortified with micronutrients. These innovations promote sustainability and long-term soil health.
  • A notable example is the adoption of nano-urea, developed by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO), which has been shown to increase nutrient uptake efficiency while reducing the environmental footprint. 
  • Moreover, micronutrient-enriched fertilisers are gaining traction, helping to address the deficiencies of critical elements like zinc and boron in soils. 
• Availability of Essential Nutrients: The fertiliser sector ensures the timely supply of crucial nutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), and potash (K) through domestic production and imports. 
  • For example, India’s domestic production of urea meets a significant portion of the country’s nitrogen requirements, and the sector also relies on imports to fill the gap.
  • In the case of phosphate, India imports around 90% of its requirement, primarily from countries like Morocco and Jordan. 
• Farmer Education and Awareness: The fertiliser sector actively educates farmers about proper fertiliser application methods, soil testing (via Soil Health Cards), and nutrient management practices. 
  • A major initiative in this regard is the Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme, launched by the Indian government in 2015. By 2022, over 22 million Soil Health Cards had been distributed to farmers, providing them with personalized information on nutrient levels in their soil and the recommended fertiliser application.
  • Industry players like IFFCO and National Fertilizers Ltd. (NFL) regularly conduct training programs and workshops to educate farmers on modern agricultural practices.

Hurdles in the Indian Fertiliser Sector

• • Distortions from Fertiliser Subsidies: India’s fertiliser subsidy system, particularly for urea, has created imbalances in nutrient usage. Urea is heavily subsidised, making it cheaper than other fertilisers like DAP and MOP, encouraging overuse of nitrogen and underuse of phosphate and potash. This leads to nutrient imbalances and degrades soil health.
    • According to a report by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), it has been found that in states like Punjab and Haryana, farmers use excess nitrogen fertilisers. 
    • Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has highlighted that nitrogen use in India is typically 40-60% higher than the recommended levels, particularly in regions with high agricultural intensity. 
  • Fertiliser Diversion and Smuggling: A substantial portion of subsidised urea (20-25%) is diverted for non-agricultural uses or smuggled out of the country, resulting in fertiliser shortages for farmers and additional financial strain on the government.
    • In 2021, the Indian government faced a urea shortage in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, affecting crop yields. 
  • Imbalanced Fertiliser Use: A major issue in India’s agriculture is the over-reliance on nitrogen fertilisers, particularly urea, while underusing other essential nutrients like phosphate (P) and potash (K). In Punjab, for instance, nitrogen use is 61% above the recommended level, while potash use is underused by 89%, and phosphate by 8%. 
    • This imbalance also leads to increased vulnerability to environmental issues, such as water contamination, as excess nitrogen leaches into water bodies, contributing to eutrophication and nitrate contamination in groundwater.
  • Low Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE): The efficiency of fertiliser use in India is alarmingly low, with only 35-40% of applied fertilisers being absorbed by crops. The rest is either wasted or lost to the environment, such as nitrogen escaping as nitrous oxide, a harmful greenhouse gas. 
    •  In 2018, a study revealed that 25% of nitrogen fertilisers applied in India end up as runoff or gaseous emissions, which not only damages the atmosphere but also increases the likelihood of groundwater contamination.
• Neglect of Micronutrients: While nitrogen, phosphate, and potash receive significant attention, micronutrients such as zinc, boron, and iron are often neglected, despite their critical role in plant growth. 
• • In Madhya Pradesh, zinc deficiency has been linked to a 30% reduction in maize yields, and studies show that iron-deficient soils can reduce pulses productivity by as much as 15-20% .

Fertiliser Subsidy and Related Schemes in India

• Subsidy on Urea: Urea is the most widely used fertiliser in India, and its price is heavily subsidised for agricultural use. The government provides a subsidy to ensure that farmers can buy urea at a reduced cost. The subsidised price for a 45 kg bag of urea is Rs. 242 (excluding taxes and neem coating).
• Subsidy on Non-Urea Fertilisers: Non-urea fertilisers like DAP and MOP are generally sold at market prices. However, due to global price increases, especially after the Russia-Ukraine war, the government has intervened. Prices for MOP and DAP are now Rs. 1,500-1,600 and Rs. 1,350 per bag, respectively.
• Urea Subsidy Scheme: Under this scheme, urea is sold at a statutorily fixed Maximum Retail Price (MRP), with the government covering the difference between production costs and the retail price. This helps farmers access urea at an affordable price.
• Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme: Launched in 2010, the NBS scheme addresses nutrient imbalances by providing subsidies based on the nutrient content of fertilisers. Fertilisers enriched with secondary and micronutrients also receive additional subsidies. However, urea is excluded from the NBS scheme.
• Integrated Fertilize Management System:  This portal has been developed by Department of Fertilizers (DoF) to capture end to end details of Fertilizer in terms of Production, Movement, availability, requirement, Sale, Subsidy Bill Generation to Subsidy payment to fertilizer companies. This helps in spreading awareness amongst farmers about the quality of fertilizers along with other online services available on the portal.
• One Nation One Fertilizer (ONOF): It is the latest scheme by the Central Government under the Ministry of Chemicals and fertilizers. This scheme will market the products under one name so that farmers can quickly identify the product through the nutrient, not by the brand.  

Challenges with the Subsidy System

• Nutrient Imbalance: The heavy focus on subsidising urea has led to an overuse of nitrogen, while phosphate and potash have been underused. This imbalance has contributed to declining soil fertility and long-term reductions in agricultural productivity.
• Financial Burden on the Government: The fertiliser subsidy system places a significant financial burden on the government, costing nearly ₹1.88 lakh crore annually. 
  • In 2022, the fertiliser subsidy bill was revised upwards due to rising global fertiliser prices, especially for urea and phosphate, which increased India’s import costs. The government had to increase its subsidy expenditure by ₹50,000 crore to accommodate this rise, thereby creating a fiscal imbalance.
• Environmental Damage: Inefficient fertiliser use has led to environmental pollution, including the release of harmful greenhouse gases and contamination of water bodies. The low NUE further exacerbates these environmental impacts.
  • In the study “Nutrient Management in Indian Agriculture” by ICAR, it is highlighted that around 30-40% of nitrogen fertilisers are lost, with a substantial part of the nitrogen escaping into the environment in the form of nitrous oxide, which is a significant greenhouse gas. 
• Diversion and Smuggling: The diversion of subsidised urea for non-agricultural uses and illegal export leads to shortages for farmers and further strains government finances.
  • Special teams of dedicated officers called Fertilizer Flying Squads (FFS) have been formed by the Central Government  to keep a strict vigil and check black marketing, hoarding and supply of sub-standard quality fertilizers across the country.
  • In 2023, FFS jailed 11 persons under the Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies (PBM) Act for diversion and black marketing of urea during surprise inspections across India. 

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Way Forward

• Rationalising Subsidies: The government should bring urea under the NBS scheme to balance the prices of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash. This would encourage balanced fertiliser use and reduce the over-reliance on urea.
• Implement the 4Rs: The 4Rs framework (Right source, Right rate, Right time, Right place) enhances production, farm profitability, environmental protection, and sustainability.

• Deregulating Fertiliser Prices: Allowing market forces to determine fertiliser prices can remove distortions caused by price controls. Direct income support, such as digital coupons or cash transfers, can be provided to farmers, allowing them to purchase fertilisers based on their specific needs.
• Promoting Micronutrient Use: To address widespread micronutrient deficiencies, the government should incentivize the use of fertilisers enriched with micronutrients. Balanced fertiliser use, including micronutrients, is essential for improving soil health and increasing agricultural productivity.
• Improving Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE): Enhancing NUE through precision farming, improved soil testing, and the use of technology to apply fertilisers more efficiently will help reduce waste, lower costs, and improve sustainability in agriculture.