Approaches for Efficient Management of Soil Fertility

Abstract

Soil fertility refers to the inherent capacity of the soil to provide plants with sufficient amounts of nutrients in appropriate ratios. To keep this capacity of soil intact, there is a need to have an integrated approach which can bring a balance between amount of nutrients removed and added. In addition to optimizing crop yield, an integrated approach to soil fertility management can reduce soil nutrient depletion. Intensive agricultural practices mines soil nutrient in excess amount, while the application rate of external source of nutrient is both inadequate and most of the time disproportionate. Therefore, using fertilizer and organic matter in the right amounts at the right times, increasing their use efficiency, regularly monitoring soil health, and taking necessary action, growing cover crops, incorporating legumes into crop rotation, using improved germplasm, using appropriate microbial consortia, and adhering to good agricultural practices are the ways to address soil fertility management issues. All of these methods are primarily concerned with enhancing the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of soil in order to maintain its fertility throughout time. History has witnessed fertile soil turning barren for the lack of foresightedness and greed of human being leading to faulty management practices. But we have reasons to keep our hope high for sincere efforts have already been made in restoration of degraded soil following those location specific, well planned, and executed approaches. The same piece of land which has been generous enough in providing us food for generations needs to be taken care of as we owe it for our past reckless exploitation. Now the time has come to realize that soil’s future must not be at stake for our present greed. We need food today and will need more of it tomorrow for which the degraded soil needs to be restored, soil fertility needs to be sustained, and best of researched, validated approaches of soil fertility management to be followed. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.