Nutrient management in temperate fruits crops

Abstract

All plants require a sufficient supply of essential nutrients to reach their potential, and a deficiency of any single nutrient is enough to limit yields. Supply of adequate quantities of nutrients is essential for sustainable high yield of quality fruits. Unscientific use of chemicals in agriculture has led to several health hazards and environmental problems. To protect our crops and the environment we have to follow sustainable and eco- friendly agriculture, which minimizes the use of harmful and energy intensive inputs and adopts use of organic manures and bio fertilizers. On the other hand, increase in productivity of horticultural produce removes large amounts of essential nutrients from the soil. Without proper management, continuous production of crops reduces nutrient reserves in the soil. Another issue of great concern is the sustainability of soil productivity, as land began to be intensively exhausted to produce higher yields. Overtime, cumulative depletion decreases production, yield and soil fertility and lead to soil degradation. The new approach to farming often referred to as sustainable agriculture, seeks to introduce agricultural practices that are ecofriendly and maintain the long term ecological balance of soil ecosystem. The judicial use of organic inputs with inorganic is considered as the alternative source to meet the nutrient requirement of the crops.