V. G. Takankhar

Soil fertility is a dynamic natural property and it can change under the influence of natural and human induced factors. As human population continue to increase, human disturbance on the earth's ecosystem to produce food and fiber will place greater demand on soils to supply essential nutrients. Continuous cropping for enhanced yield removes substantial amounts of nutrients from soil. Effective management of nutrients in soils is needed to feed the 130 crore people on the planet. Soil sampling and the use of nutrient application rates based on scientific principles and research are critical components of nutrient management. The purpose of this study is to document the farmer-perceived value of soil fertility for crop yields, the use of soil sampling for nutrient diagnosis, and actually makes fertilizer recommendations on cropland in the research study area.