78 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Soil Tests
Soil-testing is an important tool to advise farmers on judicious, balanced and efficient
use of fertilizers for economic returns. There are 461 soil-testing laboratories with analysis
capacity of 64.75-lakh-soil sample per annum. It is intended to expand the soils, twenty-five
sets of Atomic Absorption Spectro Photometers had been provided to the state governments
under the India-United Kingdom Bilateral Programme. Besides, the state government/
agriculture universities have installed a number of such equipments.
Balanced and Integrated use of Fertilizers and Organic Manures
Appreciable progress has been made in crop production by the increased use of ‘NPK
Fertilizers’. However, lately the intensification of agriculture coupled with the use of his
analysis chemical fertilizers has resulted in soil micronutrient deficiencies in large areas. To
ensure optimum benefit from ‘NPK Fertilizers’, it is necessary that they are applied on the
basis of soil-testing results and, where necessary, in combination with micronutrients farmers
are being encouraged through extension training to do this. Organic Manures are essential
for maintaining proper soil health. The Country has a potential of 650 million of rural and
160 lakh tones of Urban Compost. Presently, the potential is not fully utilized.
Fertilizers Quality Control
Quality, price and trade in fertilizers are regulated so that farmers get good quality
fertilizers at the right time and at reasonable prices. The Government has issued the
Fertilizers (Control) Order, 1985, under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. This order
sampling analysis and provision for appointment of enforcement agencies for regulating the
trade and distribution of fertilizers. There are 43 fertilizers Quality Control and Training
Institute at Faridabad with its One Central Fertilizers Quality Control and Madras. Total
analyzing capacity of these laboratories in the Country is 87,400 fertilizers samples per
annum. The institute organizes training programmes for state enforcement officers, state
fertilizers analysts and for foreigner’s developing countries. Besides, training courses for
fertilizers dealers are also organized in collaboration with the state governments and the
fertilizers industry.
Development of Bio-Fertilizers
Decreasing non-renewable petroleum reserves all over the World and increasing cost of
chemical fertilizers have necessitated search, for alternative renewable sources to meet the
increasing demand, for chemical fertilizers, Emphasis is being laid on integrated nutrient
supply through combined use of fertilizers, organic manures and bio-fertilizers. Scientists
have proved that bio-fertilizers are an effective, cheap and renewable supplement to chemical
fertilizers. Rhizobium inoculants have been found to be effective for pulses, Legume Fodder,
Legume Oilseeds like Soyabean, Groundnut and Blue Green Algae (BGA) for lowland Paddy.
Considering the prospect of bio-fertilizers, the government is implementing the National
Project on Development and Use of Bio-fertilizers with a view to produce, distribute and
promote bio-fertilizers used by organizing training and demonstration programmes and also
quality testing of bio-fertilizers. Under the scheme, one National Centre at Ghaziabad in
Uttar Pradesh and Six Regional Centres Bangalore (Karnataka), Bhubaneshwar (Orissa),
Hissar (Haryana), Imphal (Manipur), Jabalpur (M.P.) and Nagpur (Maharasthra) have been