Overuse of Nitrogen Impacting Soil Health

Syllabus: GS3/Agriculture

Context

• The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare launched the rabi campaign, “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” (Save the Farm Campaign) in Karnal, Haryana.
  • The focus of the campaign is to correct the imbalanced use of chemical fertilisers, which is harming soils and groundwater and polluting the air.

Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) Recent Policy Brief:

• It compared actual nutrient use in 20 major states with crop- and irrigation-specific norms between 2009-10 and 2024-25.

• NPK: The N:P:K ratio stands at 10.5:4.1:1, against a derived normative 2.8:1.5:1.
  • NPK refers to the three primary macronutrients essential for plant growth: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K).
• Nitrogen Use: Nationally, nitrogen use has moved from 7% below its recommended dose to 6% above it. 
  • Eleven of 20 major states, led by Jharkhand (72%) and Punjab (65%), overuse nitrogen. 
  • Nitrogen’s share in NPK use is back to about 67%— the 1970-71 level.
• Phosphorus: The phosphorus deficit has narrowed only from 29 to 22%, while the potassium deficit has deepened from 48 to 72%: Farmers apply just 9 kg of potash per hectare against a need of 32 kg.
  • Every state under-applies potash; Haryana and Jharkhand apply barely a tenth of what their crops need.

Reasons for Overuse of Nitrogen

• Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme: NBS let the prices of phosphatic and potassic fertilisers float with world markets, but kept urea out at a fixed price.
  • Between 2010-11 and 2024-25, Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) prices nearly tripled to Rs 54/kg, and Muriate of Potash (MOP) rose six-fold to Rs 52/kg, while the price of nitrogen in urea rose by just 1%. Farmers respond to relative prices. 
• Nitrogen also makes the crop look green, while the damage from missing potash shows up later, and quietly. 

Concerns

• High Fiscal Burden: Heavy subsidy on urea increases the government’s fertilizer subsidy bill and strains public finances.
• Imbalanced Fertilizer Consumption: Excessive use of urea (nitrogen) compared to phosphatic and potassic fertilizers disturbs the N:P:K ratio, reducing soil productivity.
• Low Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE): Only a part of applied urea is utilized by crops; the rest is lost through volatilization, leaching, and denitrification.
• Soil Degradation: Continuous overuse leads to soil acidification, micronutrient deficiency, and long-term fertility decline.
• Environmental Pollution: It causes water pollution (eutrophication) due to nitrate runoff, and emits nitrous oxide (N₂O), a potent greenhouse gas.
• Import Dependence & External Vulnerability: Reliance on imported urea and natural gas exposes India to global price volatility and supply disruptions.

Government Initiatives

• Neem-Coated Urea (NCU): Mandatory coating of urea with neem to reduce nitrogen loss, improve efficiency, and prevent diversion to non-agricultural uses.
• Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme: Promotes balanced fertiliser use (N:P:K) by subsidising phosphatic and potassic fertilisers, reducing overdependence on urea.
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Fertilisers: Subsidy is transferred to companies after sale to farmers, ensuring transparency and reducing leakages/diversion.
• Promotion of Nano Urea: Developed by Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited, Nano Urea reduces conventional urea requirement while maintaining crop yield.
• Soil Health Card Scheme: Provides farmers with soil nutrient status, encouraging judicious and need-based fertiliser use.

Recommendations

• Shift to Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Replace input-based subsidies with per-hectare direct transfers that are neutral across nutrients and crops.
  • Gradually bring urea under the Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) regime to reduce its price advantage and encourage balanced fertiliser use.
• Strengthen PM-PRANAM: Expedite the implementation of the PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM) to incentivise states that reduce excessive chemical fertiliser consumption.
• Promote sustainable technologies: Redirect fertiliser subsidy savings towards drip irrigation, customised and coated fertilisers, biofertilisers, nano fertilisers and nitrogen-efficient seeds.
• Adopt the 4R principle: Promote the right fertiliser source, rate, time and place through soil testing and plot-specific recommendations. Crop rotation with pulses can also reduce nitrogen requirements for subsequent crops.

Conclusion

• India must shift its focus from the quantity of fertilisers consumed to the balanced supply of nutrients. 
• Rationalising subsidies, promoting sustainable farming and incentivising states can protect soil health while ensuring long-term food security.

Source: IE