Bridging the Yield Gap: Does a Decision Support System (DSS) based on Soil Test Crop Response Databases provide a Strategic Solution?

Abstract

This lecture is dedicated to the great visionary Soil Scientist Dr. B.V. Mehta. I am thankful to the Indian Society of Soil Science, New Delhi and the Bapatla Chapter of Indian Society of Soil Science for giving me an opportunity to deliver this prestigious memorial lecture. Food demand to support the global population will be 50 per cent more in 2050 compared with 2012, according to a recent United Nations report. To produce this much would require additional 165 to 600 million hectares of land for crop and livestock, much of which is currently covered by forests and other critical ecosystems. While the population is likely to increase to more than 1.6 billion before near-stabilization by 2030, the food demand is expected to rise up to ~ 400 million tonnes (MT) by the year 2050. This paper explores the possibility of utilizing the accumulated ‘soil test crop response data’ in the country to profitably use them on a Decision Support System (DSS) platform and to promote balanced fertilizer use in the country. The usefulness of this concept in bridging the yield gap and providing environmentally sound fertilizer management in Indian Agriculture are demonstrated in this paper.