Farmers should scale down application of chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides and instead use organic manure and natural wastes to rejuvenate the soil, said agriculture officials here on Wednesday.
At a seminar on advanced techniques in paddy cultivation, they said that with a view to helping the farmers, a Daincha seed farm, a green manure producing crop, had been raised on 40 hectares to produce 20 tonnes of seeds for distribution to paddy farmers.
Joint Director of Agriculture P. Sampath Kumar said fertilizers were necessary for crops. But plants as well as the land would not respond to excess application of fertilizers. The excess fertilizer would spoil the soil’s health and make it unfertile. Soil testing alone would determine the quantum of fertilizer required for a land. A change in the colour of the leaf was not a symptom of shortage of fertilizer. It could be deficiency of micro-nutrients.
Tamil Nadu was second largest user of pesticides and fertilizers. On Kodaikanal hills, farmers used to give eight to 10 sprays for beans crop. Such an act would poison vegetables and affect the health of the people ultimately, he pointed out.
The government had set up the Daincha seed farm so that farmers could raise their crops in 30 days and do in-situ ploughing before raising paddy. Such a measure would meet nitrogen needs and reduce urea use, he added.
FACT Senior Zonal Manager P. Subramanian said they had had sold 2,500 tonnes of fertilizers in October. Fertilizers formed the major input costs for farmers. Minimising its use would bring down the production cost, he added.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/use-fertilizers-to-the-minimum-farmers-told/article6637969.ece