ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture,Hyderabad organized a farmer sensitization programme on “Balanced Use of Fertilizers and soil health management in Chityala Village, Nalgonda District on 12-5-2026

Dr. B. Sarkar, Principal Scientist (Plant Breeding) explained the importance of balanced fertilizer use for maintaining soil health and improving crop productivity. He emphasized that the continuous and excessive use of chemical fertilizers has led to soil degradation, nutrient imbalance, and environmental pollution.

He highlighted that balanced nutrient management not only promotes better crop growth and yield but also protects the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. Dr. Sarkar also stressed the benefits of eco-friendly nutrient sources such as organic manure, green manure, bio-fertilizers, vermicompost, compost, and liquid fertilizers, which help improve soil health, reduce pollution, and enhance long-term agricultural productivity.

Dr. Tridiv Ghosh, Scientist (Agricultural Physics) highlighted adopting balanced fertilization practices is essential for sustaining soil fertility, improving crop yield and quality, and ensuring long-term agricultural sustainability.

He also stressed the importance of following recommended doses of fertilizers (RDF) for specific crops, integrating organic sources such as farmyard manure (FYM), compost, and green manure along with chemical fertilizers to improve soil structure and nutrient availability, and applying fertilizers at the right time, including split application of nitrogen, to enhance nutrient-use efficiency. In addition, he pointed out that micronutrient deficiencies, particularly of zinc, and boron, are increasing in many agricultural soils and should not be ignored for maintaining balanced soil fertility and sustainable crop production.

During the village visit, the scientists met a progressive farmer, Mr. Kotham Reddy, who cultivated watermelon on 5 acres of land using organic inputs such as poultry manure. The scientists encouraged to incorporate organic manure to improve soil health

A total of 19 farmers actively participated in the programme, including 10 men and 9 women.