Assessment of Potassium Nutrient Balance
in Agricultural Farming System: A Pathway
to Sustainable Production of Crops
15
R. Paramasivam, P. Paramasivam, M. Umanath,
and R. Balasubramanian
Abstract
Sustainable soil nutrient management is essential for achieving food security,
ecosystem sustainability, employment generation and economic development.
Soil gets nutrients in particular potassium (K) from various sources like organic
and inorganic sources. In recent times, inorganic sources account for a larger
share of flow and stock of nutrients in the soil and cause environmental pollution.
The dynamic nutrient budget tool was used to assess the stock of soil K nutrient
by the inclusion of inflow and outflow of K sources from 1990–1991 to
2012–2013. We used cross-sectional data of inorganic fertilizers, organic manure,
area under various crops and their productivity. Per ha K outflow was significantly higher than per ha K inflow in most regions of the Tamil Nadu State. It
resulted in negative K balance. The static model was initially included to find out
net inflow, i.e. nutrient balance but empirical estimation gives a negative value
which becomes unable to calculate stock of K in the same period. It infers that
amount of K addition to the soil in the Tamil Nadu State was low, while the area
under nutrient intensive crops had significantly increased. Hence, it is suggested
that more awareness on balanced K nutrient application need to be created among
the farmers and to formulate appropriate policy measure in sustainable production
and distribution of K fertilizers to the farmers.
R. Paramasivam (*)
Kumaraguru Institute of Agriculture, Erode, India
P. Paramasivam · R. Balasubramanian
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India
M. Umanath
Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai, India
# Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
V. Venkatramanan et al. (eds.), Sustainable Bioeconomy,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7321-7_15
325
in Agricultural Farming System: A Pathway
to Sustainable Production of Crops
15
R. Paramasivam, P. Paramasivam, M. Umanath,
and R. Balasubramanian
Abstract
Sustainable soil nutrient management is essential for achieving food security,
ecosystem sustainability, employment generation and economic development.
Soil gets nutrients in particular potassium (K) from various sources like organic
and inorganic sources. In recent times, inorganic sources account for a larger
share of flow and stock of nutrients in the soil and cause environmental pollution.
The dynamic nutrient budget tool was used to assess the stock of soil K nutrient
by the inclusion of inflow and outflow of K sources from 1990–1991 to
2012–2013. We used cross-sectional data of inorganic fertilizers, organic manure,
area under various crops and their productivity. Per ha K outflow was significantly higher than per ha K inflow in most regions of the Tamil Nadu State. It
resulted in negative K balance. The static model was initially included to find out
net inflow, i.e. nutrient balance but empirical estimation gives a negative value
which becomes unable to calculate stock of K in the same period. It infers that
amount of K addition to the soil in the Tamil Nadu State was low, while the area
under nutrient intensive crops had significantly increased. Hence, it is suggested
that more awareness on balanced K nutrient application need to be created among
the farmers and to formulate appropriate policy measure in sustainable production
and distribution of K fertilizers to the farmers.
R. Paramasivam (*)
Kumaraguru Institute of Agriculture, Erode, India
P. Paramasivam · R. Balasubramanian
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India
M. Umanath
Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai, India
# Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
V. Venkatramanan et al. (eds.), Sustainable Bioeconomy,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7321-7_15
325