Integrated nutrient management

This study was undertaken to assess farmers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for various climate-smart interventions in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The research outputs will be helpful in integrating farmers’ choices with government programs in the selected regions. The Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) was selected because it is highly vulnerable to climate change, which may adversely affect the sustainability of the rice-wheat production system and the food security of the region.

IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (Research Institute for Development) - is a research organization based in France that is working with its partners in the South to address international development issues. Improving health, understanding social changes, and protecting the environment are the main pillars of its work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). IRD work includes interdisciplinary scientific research, capacity building and nurturing innovation in more than fifty countries worldwide. 

Soil is a fundamental requirement for crop production as it provides plants with anchorage, water and nutrients. A certain supply of mineral and organic nutrient sources is present in soils, but these often have to be supplemented with external applications, or fertilisers, for better plant growth. Fertilisers enhance soil fertility and are applied to promote plant growth, improve crop yields and support agricultural intensification.

Soils of the world"s agroecosystems (croplands, grazing lands, rangelands) are depleted of their soil organic carbon (SOC) pool by 25-75% depending on climate, soil type, and historic management. The magnitude of loss may be 10 to 50 tons C/ha. Soils with severe depletion of their SOC pool have low agronomic yield and low use efficiency of added input.