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Fertilizer use by crop in India
CONTENTS


Land and Plant Nutrition Management Service
Land and Water Development Division

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Fertilizer use by crop in India
First version, published by FAO, Rome, 2005

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Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

Abstract

Abbreviations and symbols

1.   Introduction

Agro-ecological zones

Major soil groups

Alluvial soils

Black soils

Red soils

Laterite and lateritic soils

Desert (arid) soils

Forest and hill soils

Saline and sodic soils

Peaty and marshy soils

Soil fertility status

Farm sizes

2.   The Fertilizer Sector

Production

Imports

Consumption

Consumption at state level

NPK consumption ratio

Consumption by product

3.   Organic manures and biofertilizers

4.   Fertilizer use by crop

Fertilizer use by agro-ecological zone

Arid ecosystem

Semi-arid ecosystem

Subhumid ecosystem

Humid-perhumid Ecosystem

Coastal ecosystem

Island ecosystem

Fertilizer use by crop

Paddy rice

Wheat

Sorghum

Pearl millet

Maize

Pigeon pea

Rapeseed and mustard

Groundnut

Sugar cane

Cotton

Jute

Other crops

Rice-wheat system

5.   Prices and Profitability of Fertilizers

Prices of fertilizers

Prices of agricultural products

Profitability of fertilizer use

Fertilizer subsidy

6.   Fertilizer distribution and credit

Components of marketing costs

Credit

7.   Future prospects

References 45

List of tables

1.     Distribution of area according to annual rainfall

2.     Important features of agro-ecological zones of India

3.     Extent of macronutrient deficiency in India

4.     Extent of micronutrient deficiency in India

5.     Number, area covered and average size of landholdings

6.     Chronology of fertilizer production in India

7.     Production by product 2003/04

8.     Production, importation and consumption of fertilizers

9.     Consumption of fertilizers by state 2003/04

10.   Growth in biofertilizer production

11.   Growth in fertilizer consumption in India

12.   Fertilizer consumption in agro-ecological zones of India, 2003/04

13.   Fertilizer use on important crops, 2003/04

14.   Fertilizer-use pattern under the rice-wheat cropping system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains

15.   Maximum retail prices of fertilizers, by product

16.   Maximum retail prices of fertilizers, nutrient basis

17.   Procurement/minimum support prices of agricultural products

18.   Physical returns

19.   Profitability of mineral fertilization for selected crops 2004/05

20.   Subsidies on fertilizers

21.   Credit flow by type of agency for agriculture and allied activities

List of figures

1     Crop groups by cropped area

2     Agro-ecological zones of India

3     Dominant soil map of India

4     Share of fertilizers in total N and P2O5consumption, 2003/04

5     Fertilizer marketing and distribution channels

6     Share of various components in marketing cost of urea