New fertiliser doses recommended after nearly half century

By Laxman Kafle,Kathmandu, June 13: National Soil Science Research Centre under the Nepal Agricultural Research Council has made public a new domain-specific fertiliser dose for rice, wheat and maize.

It took almost half a century for the government entity to make the recommendation. Earlier, it had made similar recommendations in 1976.

Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Dr. Bedu Ram Bhusal made public the domain-special fertiliser dose recommendation prepared by the National Soil Science Research Centre (NSSRC) amidst a function held in Lalitpur on Monday.

It took six years for the team of the National Soil Science Research Centre to prepare the domain-specific fertiliser dose. The study, funded by USAID, considers soil fertility, use of advanced and hybrid seeds and climate, said Dr. Shree Prasad Vista, chief of NSSRC, NARC.

“Dose is based on yield target and indigenous nutrient supply (cropping system, crop management), and soil test results for all crops,” said Vista while highlighting fertiliser recommendation. The NSSRC has identified six domains, including four domains in Terai, one in Inner Terai and one in hill and recommended separate doses of fertiliser for them. 

Eastern Terai includes Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari districts, Central Terai  stretches from Parsa to Saptari, Western Terai incorporates Rupandehi,  Parasi and Kapilvastu, and Far Western  from Banke to Kanchanpur districts.

Similarly, Inner Terai includes Nawalpur, Dang, Chitwan, Surkhet, and Makawanpur. Depending on the soil fertility, the recommended nitrogen quantity ranges from 100 to 130 kg per hectare, phosphorus from 30 to 40 kg, potash from 30 kg to 50 kg, zinc from 2 to 3 kg and boron fixed at 1 kg for paddy crops.

It has recommended 6 tonnes organic manure for paddy crops.

Similarly, the recommended nitrogen quantity ranges from 120 to 130 kg per hectare, phosphorus fixed at 60 kg and potash fixed at 40 kg for maize crops.  It has recommended 10 tonnes organic manure per hectare for maize crops.

For wheat crop, the recommended nitrogen quantity ranges from 100 to 140 kg per hectare, phosphorus and potash fixed each at 50 kg. Vista said that phosphorus, potassium, zinc sulphate and borax should be applied to the field before sowing or planting crops and nitrogen should be applied in split doses.

All recommended nutrients for rice and wheat, one-third of nitrogen should be applied as basal, during the last field preparation works, he said.

On the occasion, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Dr. Bhusal stressed on the need to disseminate the domain-specific fertiliser dose to the farmer’s level to make for effective implementation. 

“I hope that the recommendation will help to increase agricultural productivity by using the fertiliser effectively as per the recommendation,” he said.