Today's challenge is to replenish our soil potential which has been exhausted due to extensive use of chemical fertilisers, Professor Muhammad Arshad, director, soil and environmental sciences, agriculture university Faisalabad, said during the recently concluded Comstech workshop on bio-fertilisers.
The agricultural expert advocated for more application of organic manure to keep the soil productivity intact. He agreed that the green revolution in 1960s led to substantial increase in crops yield because excess chemical fertilisers were then used.
But, on the other hand no attention was paid to using organic material as soil additive, which spoiled the productivity of our soil. "For both agricultural as well as environmental sustainability, we today need use of organic waste matters in agriculture, because organic matters are rich source of nutrients which has been applied by farmers over the centuries," Dr Arshad observed.
The use of bio-organic-waste decreased significantly after the introduction of chemical fertilisers in the country. The expert remarked that attention had now again shifted to use of organic waste as fertilisers due to a number of reasons: Non-liquid solid waste material, as well as those from commercial and industrial sources and poultry wastes generate pollution.
These waste materials could be changed by natural process to yield rich value-added crops. The beauty is that a compost of these value-added waste would cost very little. Giving an example, Professor Arshad said after adding value rich compost, wheat yield increases to 3,500-kg per hectare; formerly, it was only 2,500-kg.
About hybrid maize, he said it increased to 5000-kg as compared to 2000 previously. Recycled organic wastes improve soil health, give better crops and keep the environment clean, he said. Another expert Professor Kausar Malik added that improved agriculture technologies also prevent diseases in plants.