'Balanced usage of fertilizer can save Rs 305 billion'

The country can save Rs 305 billion by ensuring balanced usage of fertilizer in the fields as the imbalance usage was not only causing fertilizer wastage and but also a reason behind low productivity. It was discussed at the meeting of fertilizer model experts held at the Post Graduates Research Station (PARS) with UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Iqbal Zafar in the Chair.
The Principal Investigator, Fertilizer Model Dr Muhammad Rashid gave the presentation while Dean Agriculture Dr Muhammad Amjad, Dean Science Dr Muhammad Asghar Bajws, Principal Community College Dr Haq Nawaz Bhatti, Director Soil Sciences Dr Javed Akhar, Principal Officer Public Relations and Publication Dr Jalal Arif, Assistant Professor Ahsan Raza and Chairman Computer Sciences Tasneem Mustafa attended the meeting. UAF scientists have successfully introduced a fertilizer model aimed at enabling the provincial farmers get the desired yield of major crops according to soil analysis.
UAF VC Dr Muhammad Iqbal Zafar said we cannot apply fertilizer of Faisalabad Model at Multan region as the soil texture, fertility, and analysis is entirely different from each other. We need to get the analysis and then apply a balanced fertilizer on the crop. He said that the UAF had developed a successful balanced fertilizer model that can be accessed through internet website fertilizeruaf.pk and mobile application named fertilizer calculator.
He said that there is need to produce the more food from the same land to meet the challenges of food security. He stressed upon the need to provide cost effective technologies at the doorsteps of the farmers which increase productivity and profitability per unit of land.
He told today the role of fertilizers has gained increasing importance as high agricultural production per unit is expected from shrinking land and water resources. The agriculture sector is facing challenges of optimizing fertilizer use-efficiency, diversifying cropping patterns, and improving quality. He directed the meeting to set up farmer fertilizer desk in sub campuses in Toba Tek Singh, Burewala and Okara also to provide the information to the farming community for the yield increment.
Dr Muhammad Rasheed said that with the balance usage, we can increate the wheat productivity by 35 percent, and maize by 40 percent. He said that if we only ensure the 50 percent rational usage of nitrogen and phosphorus, it can add to billions of the rupees to national economy. He said that they were using the SMS services for creating the awareness among the farming community.