Organic agriculture UWU 2016/2017 batch

1. Group No – 04
Export Agriculture Degree Program

2. Content
1)Present status of agriculture in Sri Lanka
2)Why organic fertilizer all of a sudden?
3)Potential benefits
4)Potential challenges
5)Way forward in fertilizer use

4. Introduction
• The cabinet of Sri Lanka on the 29thApril, 2021 has approved a ban on
importation of chemical fertilizers
• To supply the crop nutrient demand, an enormous quantity of organic
fertilizers and biofertilizers need to be produced within the country
• Total Organic fertilizer Production in Sri Lanka - 0.22 million tons
• For the Organic paddy cultivation requires nearly 4 million tons
• For the Tea plantations requires another 3 million tons

6. Major growing crops and chemical fertilizer usage in
Sri Lanka

8. Why Organic Fertilizer all of a Sudden??
• The main intention is to protect the health of people and environment of the country
The government claims that because of chemical fertilizer usage,
• Soil fertility has been degraded
• Soil acidity has increased
• Biodiversity reduced
• Yield quality has not been improved
• Chemical fertilizer usage has resulted in water pollution and accumulated poisons in foods
resulting greater incidence of cancer and chronic kidney disease (cKDU) in Sri Lanka
• Carcinogenicity of vegetables that have high concentration of nitrates

9. • Organic fertilizer is all natural. They don’t harm plants, and they can have long- term positive effects
on the soil without damaging groundwater.
• Inorganic fertilizers are actually artificial or synthetic fertilizers. When plants are in dire need of
nutrients, an inorganic fertilizer is most immediate solution to infuse nutrients immediately to the
plants.
• Inorganic fertilizers have boosted production but also severely polluted the environment
• Leaching and runoff of inorganic fertilizers causes;
- Groundwater contamination
-Dead zones in water systems
-Air pollution from evaporated nitrates

11. 1) Improve Plant growth
• Organic fertilizers provide nutrients necessary for plant
growth
2) Improve soil condition
• Organic matter efficiently improve physical and chemical
properties of soil, preserve fertility and create sound soil-
environment for the growth of crops
3) Long term benefits to the environment
• Being ecologically and environmentally safe and non-toxic
in nature, organic fertilizers are the best fertilizers for
plants and crops in farming

12. 4) Full of Nutrients
• Unlike synthetic fertilizers that offer only primary nutrients to the plants, organic
fertilizers go further with the micronutrients as well
5) Easy to Use
• These natural products can be easily applied without having any protective
clothing or gadgets, which come pretty expensive these days
6) Microbes thrive
• Organic fertilizers offer a well-balanced blend of nutrient sources that are
essential for the important microorganisms and earthworms living in the soil
7) Eliminates Contaminations
• Use of organic fertilizers for farming helps in eliminating the unwanted and
harmful contamination in the environment like surface water contaminations,
underground water table, etc.

14. Potential challenges
• Nutrient content of the organic fertilizer varies greatly
• The nitrogen and phosphorous content is lower
• The results can be slow
• Difficult to apply precisely
• Can contain unknown toxic compounds
• Costly operation
• Pest and disease infestations occur

15. • There is no legal system in sri lanka to monitor inorganic fertilizer application
• Reduction of overall yield
• Reduction of yield during the transition period
• Expenditure on imports will rise and the annual export earnings will gradually decline
• Need in larger amounts eg:- compost
• Application is more laborious thereby high labour needed

16. • Also the fertilizer produced by Nano technology is not available and very
expensive
• Under the current status of soil in sri lanka neither inorganic fertilizer nor
organic compost is successfully absorbed by soil if directly apply to soil
• We do not have enough laboratory facilities to check the quality of organic
fertilizers

18. Way forward in fertilizer use
Short-term strategies
• Curtail importation of agrochemicals to a considerable amount without a total ban
• Establish a monitoring system to regulate the fertilizer usage under a legal framework
• Provide incentives to farmers who adopt eco-friendly fertilizer technologies
• Providing compensation to the farmers to cover the losses during transition period

19. Long-term strategies
• Promoting Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) framework
• Promoting agricultural extension services
• Research to develop organic input based agriculture
• Promoting site-specific fertilizer recommendation
• Identifying crop and location specific alternative sources of nutrients and pesticides based on
available research data and field trials

20. • Adhere to integrated plant nutrient management systems
• Promote technologically-efficient organic practices to reduce cost of production
• Production of organic fertilizer within the country and regulate them adhering to the quality
standards
• Establish adequate laboratory facilities to check the quality of organic fertilizers

21. References
• https://emeraldlawnsaustin.com/organic-fertilizers-pros-cons/
• http://www.fao.org/agriculture/crops/thematic-sitemap/theme/spi/scpi-home/managing-
ecosystems/integrated-plant-nutrient-management/ipnm-what/en/
• https://www.sundaytimes.lk/210509/sunday-times-2/organic-fertiliser-only-policy-will-plunge-
lanka-into-a-food-crisis-442857.html

22. Group Members
• M.M.S.T.Jayamali - UWU/EAG/17/020
• W.A.B.R.Ariyathilake - UWU/EAG/17/003
• S.M.V.Yashoda - UWU/EAG/17/059
• D.J.S.M.P.Siriwardhana - UWU/EAG/17/046
• V.C.J.Ariyarathna - UWU/EAG/17/002