Excessive, Imbalances Use Of Fertilizers Damage Soil Fertility In South Punjab

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Sep, 2022 ) :The excessive and imbalanced use of fertilizers severely damaged soil's fertility by enhancing pH level to 7.5 percent in south Punjab.

Soil pH determines the presence of acidity and alkalinity in the soil which disturbed its fertility. Similarly, organic matter also declined in the soil across the south Punjab. Experts expressed this in a meeting chaired by Secretary Agriculture South Punjab Saqib Ateel, and attended by a good number of agriculture experts at the committee room of South Punjab Agriculture Secretariat, on Tuesday.

The secretary agriculture stated that use of compost was inevitable to improve the soil's fertility. He remarked that scientists would have to present solutions to issues related to soil fertility, adding that soil fertility was vital to reduce expenses on inputs and improve production of different crops. Compost could help maintain humidity in the soil and leads to control on pH level, said experts during the briefing. Saqib Ateel urged the experts to prepare compost by utilizing poultry wastes, sugar-mud, paddy straw, dung and moringa.

He also suggested review of use of compost at different soils to check utility. The results should be shared with others so that it could be promoted to address the issue of soil infertility, he added.

He also proposed improving the quantity of organic matter in soil. Saqib informed that an integrated nutrient management plan was being evolved to improve the soil condition.

The experts discussed the benefits of compost and process of manufacturing in detail. They stated, compost provides many benefits as soil amendment and a source of organic matter by improving soil biological, chemical and physical characteristics. Similarly, it increases microbial activity, enhances plant disease suppression, and increases soil fertility. Apart from this, it improves soil structure in clayey soil and water retention in sandy soil, the experts highlighted and added that it reduces bioavailability of heavy metals.