There is a wide range of the ill effects that the overuse and prolonged use of fertilizers can have on the soil which includes acidification and soil crust. These effects are responsible for decreasing the content of organic matter, humus content and favourable species. The use of fertilizers not only affects the soil but in the long run also badly affects the plant growth as well as the surroundings by its release of greenhouse gases.
Therefore, one can argue that in comparison to the positive effects, the negative effects of using such fertilizers are more and should be the reason enough for the farmers and others associated with the agriculture to discourage the use of fertilizers in its entirety because allowing even the minimum use of fertilizers in the long run also end up being hazardous because there is a factor of increased productivity associated with it which always remains a major push behind the use of fertilizers by the farmers in their fields. Furthermore, the use of fertilizers is also costly and puts an extra burden on the already strained farmers apart from polluting the water after the fertilizers reach the water bodies through rainwater directly from the fields.
There have been several sustained campaigns launched by the Government, especially the agriculture departments across the country to put forth alternatives to the chemical fertilizers before the farmers. In this regard, the use of bio-fertilizers is a safe alternative to chemical fertilizers to minimize the ecological disturbance which needs to be promoted further by the Government.
In line with the pushing for the use of bio-fertilizers, there is also a need for the scientists to make sure that the gap between their labs and the fields is decreased and whatever innovations and developments are made—particularly concerning the effective alternatives to the chemical fertilizers—the same should be accordingly transferred to the farmers working in the field because that’s where all these innovations by the scientists need to show the results. Apart from that, there is a need for the necessary assistance to be provided by the Government to the farmers concerning the use of bio-fertilizers. It is only when a multipronged strategy—involving farmers, scientists and the Government—is put in place will there be a positive change on the ground.
