‘India needs to use more zinc in agriculture to achieve food security’

The use of zinc is on the increase in Indian agriculture, but far more desires to be carried out to realize food protection and nutritional protection of the growing populace, explained Andrew Environmentally friendly, Govt Director of International Zinc Association (IZA).

“According to estimates, about 40 for each cent of the agricultural soils or about 60 million hectares in India are zinc deficient. Most of this zinc deficiency is located in the soils of Western India, mostly Rajasthan, Central and South India. Growing consciousness among the farmers to use the micronutrient in fertiliser formulations is critical to raise not only food manufacturing and efficiency but also escalating farm incomes,” Environmentally friendly extra.

Growing consciousness

In a bid to promote use of zinc, IZA along with Hindustan Zinc lately announced a challenge to study the effect of zinc application on crop efficiency, soil health and fitness and popularising the zinc fertilisation among the farmers in collaboration with the Maharana Pratap University (MPU) in Udaipur. As part of the challenge, MPU would have interaction and mentor around a hundred farmers to integrate zinc to maximize efficiency, starting with wheat and maize in the following cropping time.

Soumitra Das, Director (South Asia), Zinc Nutrient Initiative, IZA, explained the best way to deal with the situation of zinc deficiency is to maximize the consciousness and educate the farmers. “It is believed that about 50 for each cent of the cereal-cultivated soils globally are deficient in plant-readily available zinc, primary to reductions in crop manufacturing and nutritional good quality. Therefore, we have planned a strategic multi-stage approach consisting of a proposed study on new and modern solutions/technologies,” Das explained.

Citing fertiliser business estimates, Das explained India’s zinc use in agriculture is over two lakh tonnes for each annum. However, IZA thinks that the use ranges concerning two.five-three lakh tonnes and has the opportunity to maximize to around seven lakh tonnes if all the micronutrient necessity of the crops are fulfilled, Environmentally friendly explained.

Zinc sulphate is greatly consumed entire world over in the farm sector. Amongst the over-all zinc fertiliser consumed in the country, zinc sulphate has seventy five-80 for each cent share, Das explained. Also, the use of zinc sulphate monohydrate is selecting up simply because of the handling residence and is considered price for income by the farmers.