Abstract
In the semi-arid tropics (SAT), there exists large yield gaps (two- to four-fold) between current farmers’ yields and achievable yields. Apart from water shortages, soil degradation is responsible for the existing gaps and inefficient utilization of whatever scarce water resource is available. On-farm soil fertility testing across different states in Indian SAT during 2001–2012 showed widespread new deficiencies of sulfur (46–96 percent), boron (56–100 percent), and zinc (18–85 percent) in addition to already known phosphorus (21–74 percent) and nitrogen (11–76 percent, derived from soil carbon). Based on these results, a new fertilizer management strategy was designed to meet varying soil fertility needs at the level of a cluster of villages by applying a full nutrient dose if >50 percent fields were deficient and a half dose in the case of fields <50 percent deficient. Improved nutrient management significantly increased crop productivity in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) (17–86 percent), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) (30–55 percent), soybean (Glycine max) (10–40 percent), and maize (Zea mays) (10–50 percent) with favorable benefit-cost ratios (1.43–15.2) over farmers’ practice. Nutrient balancing improved nitrogen-fertilizer-use efficiency in respect of plant uptake from soil, transport into grain, use efficiency in food production, and grain nutritional quality. Balanced-nutrient-managed plots showed better postharvest soil fertility. Residual benefits of sulfur, boron, and zinc were observed in up to three succeeding seasons. Results of soil-test-based nutrient-management trials have sensitized policy makers in some states for desired policy orientation to benefit millions of smallholders in the Indian SAT.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Improved nutrient management increased crop productivity in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) by 17–86 percent over farmers’ practice.
- Taxon
- groundnut (Arachis hypogaea)
Arachis hypogaeae0 - Treatment
- Improved nutrient managemente0
- Outcome
- crop productivitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 17–86 percente0
- Comparator
- farmers’ practicee0
Not reportedSetting
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Improved nutrient management significantly increased crop productivity in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) (17–86 percent), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) (30–55 percent), soybean (Glycine max) (10–40 percent), and maize (Zea mays) (10–50 percent) with favorable benefit-cost ratios (1.43–15.2) over farmers’ practice.”
Claim · model-written summary
Improved nutrient management increased crop productivity in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) by 30–55 percent over farmers’ practice.
- Taxon
- sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)
Sorghum bicolore0 - Treatment
- Improved nutrient managemente0
- Outcome
- crop productivitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 30–55 percente0
- Comparator
- farmers’ practicee0
Not reportedSetting
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Improved nutrient management significantly increased crop productivity in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) (17–86 percent), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) (30–55 percent), soybean (Glycine max) (10–40 percent), and maize (Zea mays) (10–50 percent) with favorable benefit-cost ratios (1.43–15.2) over farmers’ practice.”
Claim · model-written summary
Improved nutrient management increased crop productivity in soybean (Glycine max) by 10–40 percent over farmers’ practice.
- Taxon
- soybean (Glycine max)
Glycine maxe0 - Treatment
- Improved nutrient managemente0
- Outcome
- crop productivitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 10–40 percente0
- Comparator
- farmers’ practicee0
Not reportedSetting
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Improved nutrient management significantly increased crop productivity in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) (17–86 percent), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) (30–55 percent), soybean (Glycine max) (10–40 percent), and maize (Zea mays) (10–50 percent) with favorable benefit-cost ratios (1.43–15.2) over farmers’ practice.”
Claim · model-written summary
Improved nutrient management increased crop productivity in maize (Zea mays) by 10–50 percent over farmers’ practice.
- Treatment
- Improved nutrient managemente0
- Outcome
- crop productivitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 10–50 percente0
- Comparator
- farmers’ practicee0
Zea maysNot reportedSetting
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Improved nutrient management significantly increased crop productivity in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) (17–86 percent), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) (30–55 percent), soybean (Glycine max) (10–40 percent), and maize (Zea mays) (10–50 percent) with favorable benefit-cost ratios (1.43–15.2) over farmers’ practice.”
Claim · model-written summary
Improved nutrient management had favorable benefit-cost ratios of 1.43–15.2 relative to farmers’ practice.
- Treatment
- Improved nutrient managemente0
- Outcome
- benefit-cost ratiose0
- Direction
- favorablee0
- Value
- 1.43–15.2e0
- Comparator
- farmers’ practicee0
- Setting
- Indian Semi-arid Tropicst0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Improved nutrient management significantly increased crop productivity in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) (17–86 percent), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) (30–55 percent), soybean (Glycine max) (10–40 percent), and maize (Zea mays) (10–50 percent) with favorable benefit-cost ratios (1.43–15.2) over farmers’ practice.”
t0“Indian Semi-arid Tropics”
Claim · model-written summary
Nutrient balancing improved nitrogen-fertilizer-use efficiency for plant uptake, grain transport and food production.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Nutrient balancing improved nitrogen-fertilizer-use efficiency in respect of plant uptake from soil, transport into grain, use efficiency in food production, and grain nutritional quality.”
Claim · model-written summary
Nutrient balancing improved grain nutritional quality.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Nutrient balancing improved nitrogen-fertilizer-use efficiency in respect of plant uptake from soil, transport into grain, use efficiency in food production, and grain nutritional quality.”
Claim · model-written summary
Balanced nutrient management improved postharvest soil fertility.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Balanced-nutrient-managed plots showed better postharvest soil fertility.”
Claim · model-written summary
Sulfur, boron and zinc had residual benefits for up to three succeeding seasons.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Residual benefits of sulfur, boron, and zinc were observed in up to three succeeding seasons.”
The same questions in other papers
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3,484 papers in the same direction as this paper · 338 in the opposite direction · 85 reporting no difference from an alternative
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See all 3,908 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.