Why do crops need fertilizers?
A. Crop need 16 different nutrient elements for their growth and fruit, fiber or grain production. With the introduction of high yielding crops and increased cropping intensity, soils are becoming deficient in these nutrient elements with each passing day. So to make the deficiency of nutrient(s), farmers have to apply chemical fertilizers. Q. What are micronutrients? A. The nutrients required by crops in relatively large quantities are called major or macro nutrients and the nutrients required in smaller quantities are called micronutrient elements. But, both groups of nutrients are equally important for crop growth and yield. Q. What bases are used for recommending fertilizer rates for various crops? A. Fertilizer recommendations are based on two factors: i) nutrient requirement of a crop and ii) fertility level of the soil. Greater the requirement of a crop for nutrients, greater will be the quantity of fertilizer required and lower the fertility level of a soil, higher quantity of
