Soil acidity management in NEH region of India for doubling farmers income

Abstract

Out of 25 m/ha of problematic acid soils of India with pH below 5.5, NEH region represents 54% of the total area whereas it occupies only 8% of the total geographical area. Soil pH has major influence on the availability of elements, including essential nutrients, as well as secondary, micronutrients, and potentially toxic elements like aluminum. In acid soil crop production is less though sufficient nutrients are available in soil. If the nutrients can get converted into available form, mainly at neutral pH range, crop yield will automatically increase. At low pH, high aluminum availability can severely restrict root growth and thus, uptake of nutrients and water. Under acidic condition most of the soil beneficial microbes are absent and which functions their activities at near neutral pH. Thus increasing soil pH will automatically increase nutrient availability and ultimately crop production which may fulfill our objective of doubling farmer’s income.