Agricultural sector has a vital role in Pakistan’ economy with 21% contribution in the gross domestic product (GDP) and employing 44% of the country’s total employed people (25% of the total population). Agricultural production must attain an incessant growth in order to maintain the level of food supplies for Pakistan’s mounting population. Unfortunately, agricultural production data for previous years demonstrate a decline in production of some of the agricultural commodities. According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan (2013-14) the production of cotton, one of the major agricultural exports, declined 2% as compared to the previous year.
USAID report on Pakistan’s Food and Agriculture Systems affirms “the average yield of various crops, particularly food crops, is lower than realized elsewhere in the region. It is significantly lower than the average yields in the developed countries. With the increased use of fertilizer and pesticides, the gap has narrowed over time. Nonetheless, it is still much lower than the potential”. According to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) the wheat productivity in Pakistan is 2 tonnes/hectare as compared to United Kingdom and Germany yielding 8 and 7 tonnes/hectare respectively.
It is essential to face the challenges of growing more food in a country such as Pakistan where food security is crucial for poverty-stricken people. It is estimated that until 2025, the food production must grow by at least 40% to meet the enduring needs of 33% anticipated augment in population.
As land is finite, escalating food production from the limited land resources is inevitable for the survival in the coming decades. The intensifying population, erratic climate and low productivity of crops pose a huge challenge to Pakistan’s agriculture in satisfying the country’s food demands. Pakistani farmers have to face numerous obstacles in managing crop production such as lack of soil testing at farms, unavailability and poor quality of fertilizers, wastage during harvesting, lack of warehouses, machinery and equipment, and above all of this, decline in soil fertility. Agricultural experts believe that low soil fertility coupled with lack of efficient and sustainable soil fertility management practices is major cause of low crop yield. “Most of the soils in Pakistan are deficient in plant nutrients and incapable to support optimum levels of crop productivity” say soil scientists. The major nutrients needed for plant growth are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, boron, copper, iron, zinc and organic matter.
One of the major constraints to crop production faced by smallholder subsistence farmers is inadequate supply of nutrients. The intensive cropping system, imbalanced use of fertilizers, unreliable irrigation water and erosion are further depleting existing soil nutrient reserves. The principal indicators of declining soil fertility are poor crop yield in climatically good season, change in soil color and thickness, and change in crop color.
A pragmatic and effectual tactic, to improve soil health, is mapping soil fertility in all agricultural districts of Pakistan. Soil fertility mapping means identifying all aspects of soil management. Firstly, maps of soil nutrients for delineating soils into low, medium and high nutrient contents. Secondly, selection of the right fertilizer is one of the fundamental provisions as traditional types of fertilizers such as urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP) are not always the most effective for different soil types. In order to determine which fertilizers work best for which crops and soil types, the response of crops to different nutrient applications must be systematically tested. Soil fertility maps can be used for determining and proving guidance in order to choose what fertilizer nutrients are required for better cultivation of crops and site-specific fertility management.
It is imperative to adapt soil-test based fertilizer use and utilize blended fertilizers. For instance, potassium based fertilizers in addition to diammonium phosphate and urea can be more efficient in increasing crop production. One of the ways to manage appropriate supply of blended fertilizers is to install fertilizer blending plants at district level for fabricating blends of fertilizers to meet local soil nutrients requirement. The aim is to develop the capacity of local sources to provide smallholder farmers with a wide range of soil nutrients. For example, in developing countries, Ethiopia has successfully implemented soil fertility mapping and installation of plants formulating blended fertilizers in different districts, increasing yield of wheat up to 25%.
In order to design more appropriate research and management programs geared to improving integrated nutrient management practices, agricultural researchers and planners need to understand farmer’s knowledge and perceptions of soil fertility. Farmers’ experimentation with new practices is an important element of site-specific learning that enables them to adapt the new practices to the conditions in which they live and work. It is of the essence for the government to build on local systems of knowledge as they relate to specific locations and are based on experience and understanding of local conditions of production.
In a nutshell, to avoid importing food items, we should generate ideas to enhance agricultural output in our own country by relying on our own resources. Policy intervention is essentially required at higher levels for consolidated operations by agricultural research, food security, surveying and planning departments.