Indian Journal of Agronomy
Year : 2009, Volume : 54, Issue : 2
First page : ( 113) Last page : ( 119)
Print ISSN : 0537-197X. Online ISSN : 0974-4460.

Precision nutrient management: A review

Patil V. C.

College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka, 584 102.

Correspondence address: (E-mail: vcpatiluasd@gmail.com)

Abstract

Precision agriculture is a management strategy that employs detailed site specific information to precisely manage production inputs. Precision farming can contribute in many ways to long-term sustainability of agriculture. The idea is to know the soil and crop characteristics unique to each part of the field, and to optimize the production inputs within small portions of the field. Of all the production inputs, nutrients occupy the top position and nutrient management is crucial to the success of any farming system. The usual practice is to apply nutrients at one rate throughout the farming area. Such practice could lead to wastage of resources and maximum yields could not be achieved since, spatial variability is altogether ignored in the management option. Precision nutrient management system offers improved land stewardship, optimizes resource usage, since every part of a field receives precise amount of fertilizer required to maximize crop yields. Various strategies of precision nutrient management system are being developed among which management zone technique is gaining importance. The management zone strategy reduced the average N applied from 6.3% to 46.1% compared to uniform N management. The variable rate N application using management zones increased net returns from 11.75 to $ 39.17/ha over uniform N management.

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Key words

Management, Nutrient improvement, Nutrient intake, Variable cost.

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