From the undulating hills to the plains close to the sea, the bright green canopy thrown by the rubber trees stretch over a vast area across 11 Indian States. Each plantation has a unique ecosystem, the character of which is determined primarily by the diversity and abundance of its soil.
With a view to helping the rubber farmers understand the diversity of soil and its relationship with the crop, experts with the Rubber Board have drawn up soil fertility maps for the rubber growing areas – a first for any crop in India. The project seeks to empower the growers by visually representing the fertility status of their holdings and plan sustainable soil management.
Sustaining soil health, according to K.N. Raghavan, Executive Director, Rubber Board, is important for mitigating drought and reducing the incidence of pests and diseases by improving plant health. “The fertility map is a great leap forward in precision farming, which will empower farmers with the knowledge of the fertility status of their holding so that they can apply fertilizers where needed and in the required quantity,” he said.
386 maps across India
These maps, which follow an extensive study lasting over eight years, documents the spatial variability in the status of different nutrients. “As many as 386 maps , which comprise district-wise maps for south India and State-wise maps for northeast India, have been generated so far, which altogether cover about 95% of the area under the crop,” said M.D. Jessy, Director (Research) in-charge, Rubber Research Institute of India, which led the initiative. Besides the RRII, experts from the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP), ICAR, were also involved with the project.
To prepare the map, authorities collected soil samples on a 50 hectare grid basis and documented the variability of 13 nutrients, including organic carbon and iron. “Understanding the soils of each region will help adopt appropriate farming management practices while the geo-referencing of the samples will help monitor changes in fertility status over the years,” added Ms. Jessy.
