Impact of Nitrate Consumption: Case Study of Punjab, India

Abstract

Punjab is one of the most fertile regions in India, where wheat, rice, sugar cane, fruits and vegetables are grown and it is called the “Granary of India” or “India’s bread-basket”. Rice and wheat are double cropped in Punjab with rice stalks being burned off over millions of acres prior to the planting of wheat. This widespread practice is polluting and wasteful. In Punjab the consumption of fertilizer per hectare is 223.46 kg as compared to 90 kg nationally. In recent years a drop in productivity has been observed mainly due to falling fertility of the soil, due to excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides over the years. In this article, we have discussed more details and excess load of fertilizer availability in agricultural purposes. The methodology of this article is to use the data of wheat yield and nitrate consumption. The correlation between nitrate consumption with wheat yield indicates the use of fertilizer in the case of state of Punjab of India.