70th SWCS International Annual Conference July 26-29, 2015 Greensboro, NC

1. Soil Fertility & Health
Demonstrating and Disseminating the Best
Practices and Technologies for Watershed
Rehabilitation to Help Rural Farmers: A Case
Study in Pakistan
Thomas Reinsch & Michael Kucera
USDA-NRCS
Slide 1

2. Key Facts and Figures
• Almost 100% of soils in Pakistan lack
nitrogen (N); about 80-90% - phosphorus (P)
and 30% - potassium (K).
• Deficiencies of micronutrients such as zinc
(Zn) and boron (B) are found in different
crops.
• Less than 5% of farmers apply micronutrient
fertilizers
Slide 2

3. Key Facts and Figures (cont)
• Imbalanced use of fertilizers, especially
macronutrients (NPK), deteriorates natural
resources and leads to low yields and poor
economic returns.
• Nitrogenous fertilizers were introduced in
1952, phosphatic in 1959-1960 and
potassium in 1966-1967.
• Use of fertilizers increased after 1966-1967,
when high yielding varieties of cereal crops
were introduced in Pakistan. Slide 3

4. Key Facts and Figures (cont)
• Only 2% of farmers apply potash to fruits,
vegetables and sugarcane.
• A significant yield gap between potential and
the actual yields provides an opportunity to
improve productivity and food security
through balanced use of fertilizers.
• Balanced use of fertilizers enhances yields by
30-50%.
Slide 4

5. Feed the Future: USG Global
Hunger and Food Security
Initiative
Slide 5
Focus:
Countries
Areas
Research and
Capacity
Building
 Pakistan

6. Pakistan – Punjab & Sindh
Improving Soil Health and Fertility in Pakistan through
Demonstration and Dissemination of Best Management
Practices for Farmers
• Identify and visually display current practices
• Demonstrate Pakistani methods to local farmers
• Develop and disseminate extension method
• Public and private sector deliver 4R + health
message

7. USDA, Partners, Objectives
FAO
identify current
methods and
specific practices
develop
cooperation
between the public
and private sectors
ICARDA
demonstrate and
test best
management
practices
develop and
disseminate
information and
tools

8. Slide 8
FAO-Pakistan

9. Slide 9
FAO-Pakistan

10. Slide 10

11. Slide 11

12. Pakistani Partner Institutions
• National Fertilizer and Development Centre (NFDC)
• Land Resources Research Institute/Pakistan Agricultural Research
Council
• Farm Machinery Research Institute/Pakistan Agricultural Research
Council
• Soil and Water Conservation Research Institute (SAWCRI - Punjab)
• Soil Fertility Research Institute (Punjab)
• University of Agriculture – Faisalabad
• Sindh Agriculture University - Tandojam
• Sindh Agricultural Extension Directorate
• National Center for Excellence in Geology/University of Peshawar
• Balochistan Agricultural Research Directorate

13. Partner Activities
• Land Resources Research Institute/PARC
– Biofertilizer (Biozote) Technology for improving
soil health
– Balance fertilization by using seed cum fertilizer
drill in improving N & P use efficiency and soil
health
– Beneficial Role of Micronutrients (Boron & Zinc)
for enhancing productivity and soil health

14. Partner Activities
• Soil and Water Conservation Research
Institute (SAWCRI - Punjab)
– On-farm composting for kitchen gardening &
farming by rural women with roof-top rain water
harvesting technique.
– Green manuring for improving soil fertility and
enhancing wheat yield

15. Partner Activities
• University of Agriculture – Faisalabad
– Fertilizer Prediction Models:
www.fertilizeruaf.pk
– Dissemination of N & P prediction models
among the end users
– Validation and demonstration of N & P
prediction models.

16. Project outputs
• District-level soil fertility and fertilizer atlas for
Punjab and Sindh
• Demonstration sites on building SOM, using
biofertilizer, and other BMPs
• Agricultural extension materials on BMPs for
soil health, soil fertility, and 4Rs
• Decision tool via Internet and smartphone to
improve fertilizer-use efficiency

17. 4R Nexus to Soil Health
• Healthy soils improve soil fertility and
yields; minimize nutrient losses; and
provide for efficient fertilizer use.
• 4R represents the use of fertilizer
BMPs to ensure:
– the right nutrients
– at the right rate
– at the right time
– in the right place
• How does fertilizer use efficiency
improve?
– Soil biological system!!!

18. Why practice Soil Health Planning
Principles and 4Rs
– Improved soil fertility
– Improved yields
– Nutrient use efficiency
– Soil Moisture (Runoff-infiltration-evaporation
– Drought mitigation (resilient system)
– Economics!!!

20. Conclusions
• Partnerships are essential for science
and technology development,
distribution, and implementation
• Local farmer adoption depends on local
leadership and demonstration
Slide 20