It is estimated that one billion people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition. That’s roughly 100 times as many as those who actually die from these causes each year.
About 24,000 people die every day from hunger or hunger-related causes. This is down from 35,000 ten years ago, and 41,000 twenty years ago. Three-fourths of the deaths are children under the age of five.
The faster growth of world’s populations cause a need to intensify the production of food and other plant originated products using newer methods of plant genetics, plant hygiene and plant nutrition without affecting the environment and tapping the energy reserves to the barest minimal; to stop such hunger deaths and malnutrition.
This is best achieved by improving the efficiency of the plants.
In the long run genetic modifications may affect the interests of the humanity.
One best method of achieving the goals of higher food crops and commercial crops with targeted nutrient profile of the yield is by fortifying the PLANT NUTRITION.
Fertilisers can be divided into
Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers
Plant origin, Animal origin, Microbial, Mineral, Synthetic Chemical Fertilisers.
Soil applied products, foliar spray products and products mixed in water irrigation systems like sprinklers etc.
Solid, liquid and gaseous Fertilizers
All sorts of Fertilizers are given to plants to promote growth and to improve yield;
When applied through the soil, they are absorbed by plant roots.
When sprayed over the leaves they are absorbed through leaves.
Fertilisers in general provide in varying proportions
The three major plant nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium: N-P-K)
The secondary macro plant nutrients like Calcium, Sulfur, Magnesium
The micronutrients like Boron, Cobalt, Chlorine, Manganese, Iron, Iodine, Zinc, Copper, Molybdenum, Selenium, Chromium and Vanadium.
Organic manures are becoming scarce and dearer and as such with no other option left, Farmers are presently in the practice of sourcing more than one chemical fertilizer and applying the same at different stages of the crop in the soil and as well as foliar spray.
Of late, organic farmers, who are few in number, are attempting to utilise natural techniques to revitalize their topsoil.
But depletion from poor farming practices, such as monoculture (no crop rotation) without fallow periods (soil plowed but not used for a season), has been going on for a really long time.
It takes a long time to bring topsoil health back.
Currently, there are other external environmental issues that affect soil adversely as well. Acid rain and pollution from factories and aircraft, all add to topsoil depletion.
Hence the need arises for an alternate solution.