SOIL HEALTH STATUS OF MEGHALAYA

(Directorate of Agriculture, Meghalaya)

BACKGROUND LAND AND SOIL RESOURCESMeghalaya being hilly in topography, therefore arable or cultivated lands consists both in in hilltop/plateau, side slopes of hills, inter hill valleys, and also flat or nearly level lands.

Total gross cropped area = 339735 ha

Area sown more than once =54236 ha.

Net sown area = 285499 ha

Total households = 200000 nos.(as per 2012-13 figures)

Category of cultivated lands:

I. FLAT LANDS (0 TO 2 % SLOPES)

CROPPING PATTERN

1. INTER HILL VALLEYS 2. FOOTHILL PLAINS BORDERING

ASSAM & BANGALADESH

Paddy followed by vegetables (tomato, cole crops, peas).

Paddy – pulses Paddy – rapeseed/mustard Paddy – paddy (boro paddy). Paddy followed by potato Paddy followed by maize. Paddy – oil seeds Jute,. Sugarcane Etc.

II. CULTIVATED HILL SLOPES

TYPE OF SLOPING LANDS CROPPING PATTERN

1. Plateau/hilltop- gentle slopes to moderate slopes (3 -8 %)

2. Terraces - moderate slopes (up to 8 - 15%)

3. Hill side with moderately steep slopes (15 -30%)

i. Maize – soybeanii. Maize – legumes (beans, peas)iii. Maize - milletsiv. Potato – maize.v. Potato – legumes vi. Potato - vegetables,vii. Horticultural orchards (citrus, pineapple,

banana, guava, strawberry, litchi etc.)viii. Plantations (Tea, betel leaf, areca nut,

rubber, spice like ginger, turmeric, black pepper etc).

SOIL HEALTH:• Status of soils:– Physic-chemical properties:

• Acidic pH: Most soils have pH between 4.8 to 6.0 • Low CEC (5 – 15 c mol (P+) kg-1 soil and, low base saturation (15 to

35 %).• Light to Medium: – loamy texture.

– Plant Nutrient status:• High Organic Carbon:

Due to mild climate the OC content of soils are high (most samples falls between 1.5 to 3 %). Therefore the dominant portion of plant nutrients exists in organic form.

• However – availability to plant roots depends on mineralization rates.

Macro and Micro nutrients: (3 yrs. av. 2010-2013)

• Available Macro Nutrients: Soil Analysis Results indicate

• Available Micro Nutrient statusZinc Copper Iron Manganese Molybdenum

& Boron

66.1 % of samples below

critical level

High Very high 34.25 % of samples below

critical level.

Reports of deficiency symptoms

occurrence.

PHOSPHORUS POTASSIUM EXCHANGEABLE BASES (Ca & Mg)

Maximum samples falls under LOW

Maximum samples fall under LOW TO MEDIUM

LOW

CHALLENGES TO SOIL AND PLANT HEALTH:

• REDUCING TREND OF OM IN CULTIVATED SOILS:soils analysis results, indicate a reducing trends of SOM in cultivated soils – down to below 1.5 in many samples, from a high reference of 2.5 to 3.0 in uncultivated or virgin soils

• RISING CROPPING INTENSITY:- Cropping intensity in the state is about 119 % (total gross cropped area 339735 ha. against net area of 285499 ha. as per figures of 2012-13),

However, in certain districts like East Khasi Hills, which has maximum area of horticulture crop production, farmers are cultivating up to 2 even 3 crops in a calendar year, putting pressure on the soil ability to supply essential plant nutrients.

INCREASE AREA UNDER HYV: Can lead to higher Nutrient Removal Rate by crop.

Other factors: • Low pH: – Fixation of P, low solubility of other

nutrients, Iron toxicity.

• High intensity rainfall – leads to leaching of basic cations – Ca, Mg, and K.

• High slopes: - erosion loss of top soils and plant nutrients.

• Substantial quantity in soils indicating deficiency in Micro nutrients like - Zn, Mn, and Boron.

CURRENT PRACTICES OF SOIL HEALTH MANAGEMENT: • In the current situation, the state department of Agriculture recommended following

of INM practices for Soil and Plant Health Management based on Soil Test Results.

I. Application of Lime to raise the soil pH:

II. Nutrient Recycling: convert bio-wastes to manure (farm level)

III. Application of external sources of Nutrients:

i. FYM, Vermin compost.

ii. Chemical Fertilizers: (UREA, DAP, SSP, MOP)

iii. Micro Nutrients Fertilizers: (Zn, Mn, Mo, straight and multi-nutrients)

iv. Bio-fertilizers:

v. Crop rotation

IV. Soil Health Monitoring.

AREA UNDER CROPS (RABI SEASON), area in hectares

Sl. No.

Name of the Crops 2013-14 2014-15*

1 CEREALS (INCLUDING MILLETS) 19870 205442 PULSES 6380 70083 OIL SEEDS (soybean, rapeseed) 12120 121604 CITRUS FRUITS 10365 120445 TUBERS 18449 187696 SPICES 5625 60787 OTHER CROPS 885 9038 PLANTATIONS 28138 34846

TOTAL 102291 112352*Estimated

REQUIREMENT OF PLANT NUTRIENTS

FERTILIZER CONSUMPTION (in tonnes)Type of Fertilizers

2013-14 2014-15 (Estimated)

KHARIFF RABI TOTAL KHARIFF RABI

UREA 4017 3183.69 7200.69 2598

DAP 855.72 221 1076.72 388.64

SSP 1751 1609 3360 1147.585

MOP 348.997 102.895 451.892 552.52

Micro Nutrient

- - NA -

Alternative to Chemical Fertilizers Sl. No.

Type of Fertilizers 2013-14 2014-15 (Estimated)

Natural Mineral Sources

1 Rock Phosphate -

2 Dolomite lime - 20,000.00

3 Micro Nutrient sources - -

4 Bio- Fertilizer Total

5 Azotobacter, 30.80 34.00

6 Azospirillum 32.30 35.00

7 Rhizobium 6.00 7.00

8 PSB 7.60 8.00

9 Org. Manure 150,000.00 200,000.00

10 Vermi-comp. 1095.00 1100.00

11 Other comp. 1103.00 1200.00

12 GREEN MANURES -

Soil Health Monitoring:

– Soil Testing & Soil Health Cards: The state has established STLs and MSTLs with capacity

to analyzed approximately 30, 000 nos. of soil samples annually, and to provide farmers with Soil Health Cards. • STLs – 3 nos. • MSTL (2012) – 3 nos.

– Online Soil Health Cards: From the year 2012, the state has started to also provide online of SHC for faster delivery to farmers. (The software is also MIS enabled for data storage and analysis).

CONSTRAINTS: • Availability and relatively high cost of FYM and

chemical fertilizers.

• Unbalance and injudicious application of Fertilizers:

• Farmers lack of awareness and apathy to Soil Testing and Soil Health Management, crop rotation:

• Unavailability of alternatives to chemical fertilizers:

• Ever increasing cropping intensity:

VISION AND STRATEGY FOR SOIL HEALTH MANAGEMENT

I. Striving towards Sustainability/Organics:– Building up Organic Matter Content in the soils: (Need to produce about 1.5 million tonnes of Organic manure annually from various sources).

1) Crop residue recycling:

2) Farm and Household organic waste recycling: Construction of composting units.

3) Composting pit in every farm household.

4) Explore all sources of organic manures, including Farm and City/Town waste

compost.

II. Setting up of Agro waste processing Plant: To convert organic waste into compost. The state is seeking assistance from the center under the Soil Health Mission for setting up of 2 plants (3000 TPA).

III. Promote use of natural occurring minerals for use as soil amendment's & nutrient sources:

1) Rock Phosphate, 2) Dolomite/lime

IV. Promote the use of bio-fertilizers:3) N – fixing (azospirillum, azotobacter, rhizobium) Azolla.4) P – solubilizers

V. Establish carrier based bio-fertiliser production • (The state has also sought assistance under Soil Health

Mission for setting up of carrier base bio-fertilizer production plant and quality control laboratory – 200 TPA)

V. Crop Rotation with legumes:• The state must look at ways to promote growing of legumes for

maintaining the fertility of the soils.

– CROPPING PATTERN INVOLVING GROWING OF HEAVY FEEDER FOOD GRAINS MUST BE FOLLOWED BY LEGUMES

• NEED HELPS OF RESEARCH INSTITUTIONSa) ICARNEH, b) CENTRAL AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY.

– Research and development of suitable pulses varieties, suitable for growing in off season/rabi season that can utilized residual soil moisture.

• CREATION OF AWARENESS

VI. SOIL CONSERVATION: COVER CROPS/GREEN MANURE- check Soil erosion in rainy season.

VII. SOIL HEALTH MONITORING:

The state is exploring steps to upgrade the capacity of existing Soil Testing Laboratories and setting up of more STLs, for monitoring the health of the soils, giving guidance to farmers, as well as converting data as useful information for future planning.

1) Routine soil testing.

2) Soil Health Cards for all farmers – 200000 households

3) Soil Fertility maps – (District, Block fertility maps to be created with facilities

available under SHM, SHCM)

a. Districts where fertility maps under preparation : 1 No.

b. Districts proposed under SHCM (2014-15) : 2 Nos.

c. Remaining districts : 8 Nos.

THANK YOU