Parliament Question: Imbalance use of Fertilizer

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4047 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17TH MARCH, 2026 IMBALANCE USE OF FERTILIZER

4047. SHRI ESWARASAMY K:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृषि और ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the recent study conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) which found that climate change and imbalanced use of fertilizers are leading to degradation of soil organic carbon in arable lands across the country;

(b) whether the findings indicate region-specific variations in organic carbon levels, particularly in relation to temperature, rainfall and elevation and if so, the details thereof;

(c) the steps being taken by the Government to promote balanced fertilizer application and improve soil organic carbon content; and

(d) the total budget allocated and utilised for soil health improvement and carbon management research projects under ICAR during the last five years, year and State-wise? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृषि और ककसान कल्याण राज्य मंत्री (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY)

(a) & (b): Yes, the Government is aware of the study conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) through the ICAR–Indian Institute of Soil Science (IISS) which assessed the spatial distribution of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) in cultivated areas of the country. The study analysed 254,236 geo-referenced top soil samples (0–15 cm depth) collected from different parts of India to evaluate SOC status and its relationship with climatic and geographical factors. Long-term fertilizer experiments have shown that imbalanced fertilizer application leads to soil fertility degradation and a decline in soil carbon levels.

1The study reported that SOC in cultivated soils of the country varies widely from 0.01% to 5.25% with an average value of about 0.64% (±0.42), indicating considerable variability in soil carbon levels across regions. The analysis shows that SOC distribution is strongly influenced by climatic and physiographic factors such as elevation, rainfall and temperature.

In particular, SOC showed a significant positive correlation with elevation and a significant negative correlation with average annual maximum temperature and average annual rainfall, indicating that higher temperatures and certain climatic conditions associated with climate variability may contribute to lower SOC levels in cultivated lands.

The study also highlighted that the generated SOC distribution maps can serve as important references for soil health management, sustainable agricultural practices, land degradation monitoring, carbon sequestration efforts and climate change mitigation strategies.

(c): The Government has taken several policy steps, technological and awareness measures to promote balanced fertilizer application and improve soil organic carbon (SOC) content focusing on reducing excessive chemical fertilizer use, encouraging soil-test based nutrient management, balanced fertilization, crop diversification and promoting organic inputs.

Since 2014-15, 25.90 crore Soil Health Cards have been generated/distributed across the country to promote balanced and integrated nutrient management for improving productivity and soil fertility. Across the country, 93,781 farmer trainings, 6.80 lakh demonstrations, and 7,425 farmer melas/campaigns have been conducted to promote Soil Health Card recommendations.

As parts of its awareness and training activities, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) train the farmers on different aspects of Soil Health and Fertility Management including balanced use of fertilizers. During 2024-25, the KVKs trained about 1.31 lakh farmers on different aspects of Soil Health and Fertility Management including balanced use of fertilizers. More than 4000 frontline demonstrations have been conducted in farmers’ fields to show the impact of soil test based balanced fertilizer applications. The various schemes/ progarmmes across the ministries promoting the balanced fertilizer application and improve soil organic carbon content are attached as Annexure-I.

(d): Budget allocated and utilized for soil health improvement and carbon management research projects under ICAR - All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Soil Test Crop Response (AICRP-STCR), AICRP on Long-Term Fertilizer Experiments (AICRP-LTFE), AICRP on Micro- and Secondary Nutrients and Pollutant Elements in Soils and Plants (AICRP- MSPE ), All India Network Project on Soil Biodiversity-Biofertilizers (AINP- SBB), Conservation Research Platform for Conservation Agriculture (CRP-CA), AICRP on Integrated Farming System (AICRP-IFS), and AINP on Natural Farming (AINP-NF) with AICRP centres across the country is attached at Annexure-II and Annexure-III.

***** 2ANNEXURE-I [Part (c) of Lok Sabha USQ No. 4047 dated 17th March, 2026] Scheme / Programme Implementing Ministry • AICRP on LTFE Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare • AICRP on STCR • AICRP on MSPE • AINP on SBB • CRP on CA • Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme • Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) • Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCD-NER) • National Mission on Natural Farming

(NMNF) • National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) • Soil Health Management (SHM) Scheme • PM-PRANAM (Programme for Restoration, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) • Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme • GOBAR-Dhan Scheme Ministry of Jal Shakti / Rural Development • City Compost / Waste-to-Wealth Initiatives Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs ****** 3ANNEXURE-II [Part (d) of Lok Sabha USQ No. 4047 dated 17th March, 2026] The allocation and expenditure in various projects over the last five completed years (Rs. In lakh) Institute/ Year AICRPs/ 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 AINP Allocation Utilized Allocation Utilized Allocation Utilized Allocation Utilized Allocation Utilized AICRP-LTFE 526.11 526.11 574.57 574.57 651.06 651.06 695.65 695.65 783.49 783.49 AICRP-STCR 782.75 782.75 926.95 926.95 1087.86 1087.86 1274.12 1274.12 1419.32 1419.32 AICRP- MSPE 709.42 604.58 829.53 829.53 914.99 914.99 775.41 775.41 990.46 990.46 AINP- SBB 228.37 150.05 212.04 212.04 284.33 284.33 304.60 304.60 200.35 200.35 CRP- CA 218.41 184.74 274.99 274.93 242.36 242.36 335.29 335.29 373.19 373.13 AICRP-IFS 188.35 186.34 675.37 673.37 580.46 579.37 642.27 639.46 635.41 635.41 AINP-NF 88.47 87.46 252.56 251.42 193.78 193.78 336.28 334.22 245.99 245.99 Total 2741.88 2522.03 3746.01 3742.81 3954.84 3953.75 4363.62 4358.75 4648.21 4648.15 ****** 4ANNEXURE-III [Part (d) of Lok Sabha USQ No. 4047 dated 17th March, 2026] List of Co-operating Centres under AICRPs/AINP/CRP AICRP on LTFE UAS GKVK, Bangalore; OUAT, Bhubaneswar; TNAU, Coimbatore; PJTSAU, Hyderabad;

JNKVV, Jabalpur; PAU, Ludhiana; CSKHPKV, Palampur; BAU, Ranchi; GBPUAT, Pantnagar; KAU, Pattambi;

JAU Junagarh; MPUAT, Udaipur; VNMAU, Parbhani; Dr PDKV, Akola; IGKVV, Raipur; ICAR- IARI, New Delhi; ICAR-CRIJAF, Barrackpore; ICAR-IASRI, New Delhi.

AICRP on MSPE PJTSAU, Hyderabad; RAU, Pusa; AAU, Anand;HAU, Hisar; JNKVV, Jabalpur; Dr PDKV, Akola; OUAT, Bhubaneshwar;PAU, Ludhiana;TNAU, Coimbatore;GBPUAT, Pantnagar;AAU, Jorhat; BCKV, Kalyani; RAU, Ranchi;CSKHPKV, Palampur; CSAUAT, Kanpur; KAU Kerala;

UAS Bengaluru; CAU, Manipur; NIANP Bengaluru;ICAR-IARI, New Delhi; RLBCAU, Jhansi.

AICRP on STCR PJTSAU, Hyderabad; RAU, Pusa; IGKV, Raipur; ICAR-IARI, New Delhi; HAU, Hisar; HPKV, Palampur, GKVK, Bengaluru; KAU, Vellanikara; JNKVV, Jabalpur; MPKV, Rahuri; OUAT, Bhubaneswar; PAU, Ludhiana; SKRAU, Bikaner; TNAU, Coimbatore; GPUAT, Pantnagar;

BCKVV, Kalyani; ICAR-CRIJAF, Barrackpore; PAJANCOA, Puduchery; BHU, Varanasi;

AAU, Jorhat; JAU, Gujarat; SKUAT, Srinagar; BAU, Ranchi; ICAR-IISR, Lucknow; ICAR- Complex, Manipur.

AINP on SBB AAU, Jorhat; ANGRAU, Amaravathi; BAU, Ranchi; HAU, Hisar; JNKVV, Jabalpur; KAU, Thrissur; MAU, Parbhani; MPUAT, Udaipur; OUAT, Bhubaneswar; RAU, Pusa; TNAU, Coimbatore; YSPUHF, Solan; CRRI, Hazaribagh; ICAR-IARI, New Delhi; DGR, Junagarh;

GBPUAT, Pantnagar; UAS, Dharwad.

CRP on CA PIC New Delhi, PIU Bhopal, ICAR-IISS Bhopal, ICAR-CRIDA Hyderabad, ICAR-IARI Delhi, ICAR-DWR Jabalpur, ICAR-RCER Patna, ICAR-CSSRI Karnal, ICAR-NIASM Baramati, ICAR-IIWBR Karnal, ICAR-NRRI Cuttack, ICAR-IIFSR Modipuram, ICAR-CIAE Bhopal.

****** 5List of AICRP-IFS & AINP-NF Centres State / U.T University/ AICRP-IFS (74 no’s) AINP-NF Institute (20 no’s) On-station Research On-farm Research Main Centre Sub- Vol.

(districts) (25 no’s) Centre Centre (6 (11 no’s) no’s) (32 no’s) A& N Islands CARI, Port ---- ---- Port Blair ---- ---- Blair Andhra ANGRAU, - Maruteru ---- Vizianagaram ---- Pradesh Hyderabad Assam AAU, Jorhat Jorhat ---- ---- Golaghat ---- Bihar BAU, Sabour Sabour ---- ---- Saharsa, ---- Biharz ICAR-RC for ---- ---- Patna ---- ---- ER, Patna Chhattisgarh IGKV, Raipur Raipur ---- ---- Bastar Raipur Delhi IASRI, New - - Delhi - - Delhi Goa ICAR-RC for ---- ---- Old Goa ---- ---- Goa Gujarat SDAU, S. K. S. K. Nagar ---- ---- Sabarkantha SK Nagar Nagar AAU, Anand ---- ---- ---- Dahod ---- NAU, Navsari ---- Navsari ---- ---- ---- JAU, ---- Junagadh ---- ---- ---- Junagardh Haryana CCS HAU, Hisar ---- ---- Rewari ---- Hisar Himachal CSK HPKV, Palampur ---- ---- Kullu Bajaura Pradesh Palampur J&K SKUAST, Chatha ---- ---- Udhampur ---- Jammu (Jammu) Jharkhand BAU, Ranchi Ranchi ---- ---- Saraikela- Ranchi Kharsawan 6Karnataka UAS, ---- ---- ---- Chikkaballap ---- Bangalore ura UAS, ---- ---- ---- Uttara Dharwad Dharwad Kannada UAS, Raichur Siruguppa ---- ---- ---- ----

(Bellary) UAHS, Kathalgere ---- ---- ---- ---- Shivmoga Kerala KAU, Thirssur Thiruvanthapu ---- ---- Alappuzha ---- ram CTCRI, - - - - Thiruvantha Thiruvanthap puram uram IISR, Calicut ---- ---- ---- ---- Calicut Madhya JNKVV, Jabalpur Powarkheda ---- Mandla and Jabalpur Pradesh Jabalpur Rewa Jabalpur RVS KVV, ----- Indore ---- ---- ---- Gwalior IISS, Bhopal ---- ---- ---- ---- Bhopal Maharashtra MPKV, Rahuri ---- ---- Solapur ---- Rahuri MAU, Parbhani ---- ---- Nanded ---- Parbhani DPDKV, Akola ---- ---- Wardha ---- AKola DBS KKV, Karjat ---- ---- Palghar Karjat Dapoli Meghalaya ICAR-RC for ---- ---- Umiam ---- Umiam NEH Region Orissa OUAT, Bhubaneswar Chiplima ---- Kendujhar & ---- Bhubaneswar Khordha Punjab PAU, Ludhiana ---- ---- Patiala Ludhiana Ludhiana Rajasthan SK RAU, Durgapur ---- ---- Bharatpur Bikaner (Jaipur) KAU, Kota - Kota - - - 7NRCSS, - - - - Ajmer Ajmer MPUAT, ---- ---- Rajasmand Udaipur Udaipur Sikkim ICAR-RC- Gangtok NEH, Gangtok Tamil Nadu TNAU, Coimbatore Thanjavur ---- Salem & Coimbatore Coimbatore Dindigul Telangana PJTSAU, Rajendranagar Rudrur - Rangareddy - Rajendranagar Uttar CSAUAT, Kanpur ---- ---- Unnao ---- Pradesh Kanpur NDUAT, Kumarganj ---- ---- Mau ---- Faizabad BHU, ---- Varanasi ---- ---- ---- Varanasi IIFSR, ---- ---- Modipuram Meerut Modipuram Modipuram Uttarakhand GBPUAT, Pantnagar ---- ---- Almora Pantnagar Pantnagar VPKAS, - - - - Almora Almora West Bengal BCKV, Kalyani ---- ---- Bankura - Kalyani RKVU, - - - - Narendrapur Narendrapur ****** 8