All India Coordinated Project of Micro and Secondary Nutrients
and
Pollutant Elements in Soils & Plants


Home || Abstract || Technical Programme || Achievements || Technologies Developed || Awards || Publications || Contact

Background and functional profile
Introduction of high yielding crop varieties (HYV), intensive cropping together with a shift in high analysis NPK fertilizers in mid sixties brought a stirring revolution in increasing crop production in the country, but at the same time heavy withdrawal of essential plant nutrients through bumper harvests made soil resource fatigue. The deficiencies of micronutrients became a serious obstacle in achieving optimum yield. With time, Field scale zinc deficiency was observed in many areas resulting in either very low yield or entire failure of crops. Realizing the gravity of emerging problems of micronutrient deficiencies and immediate need to tackle them more efficiently, Indian Council of Agricultural Research initiated the "All India Coordinated Research Project of Micronutrients in Soils and Plants" in the year 1967. The project was envisaged multi-disciplinary and multi-locational research to delineate micronutrient deficient areas, properly diagnose and alleviate such nutritional disorders in soils and plants more efficiently. Simultaneously, it was considered prudent to undertake some plant physiological research on micronutrient nutrition of crops. Later emerging deficiencies of Secondary Nutrients and Toxicities of Heavy Metals were observed in several soils due to their indiscriminate use. Therefore, the mandate of the project was broaden to "All India Coordinate Research Project of Micro- and Secondary- Nutrients and Pollutant Elements in Soils and Plants" and its objectives were enlarged accordingly.

Thus AICRP Micro- and Secondary- Nutrients and Pollutant Elements in Soils and Plants has been in operation for the last 3 decades and presently functioning at 11 cooperative centres with its National head quarter at Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal. The centre at Lucknow University, Lucknow has specific mandate of "plant physiological research" while remaining 10 centres are conducting mostly "soil based research" on the micro- and secondary- nutrients and pollutant elements in soils and plants.

Mission of the project

Soil fertility management through balanced use of micro- and secondary- nutrients for enhancing and sustaining high crop productivity of soil resource with minimal environmental pollution.

Mandate of the project

1. To plan, execute and monitor the research activities on micro- and secondary- nutrients and pollutant elements in soils and plants in a coordinated manner effectively and efficiently in the country.

2. To cooperate with other scientists belonging to agricultural universities, institutes and fertilizer industries and collate information available to improve upon the efficacy of applied micro and secondary- nutrients and minimize soil and environmental pollution.

Objectives
1. To delineation micronutrient deficient areas by soil and plant analysis and to confirm the occurrence of micro - and secondary nutrients (MSN) deficiencies through responses of crops under green house and field conditions.

2. To induce and catalogue deficiency symptoms and to assist and guide extension agencies tin diagnosing and remedying micro and secondary nutrients deficiencies and heavy metal toxicities in important field crops.

3. To improve upon the management practices, which may lessen the micro and secondary nutrient deficiencies disorders in important soils and crops.

4. To Monitoring health hazards from heavy metals pollution and trace elements toxicities in soil-plant-animal-human chain.

5. To efficiently coordinate activities related to micro - and secondary nutrients and pollutants research in the country.

6. To cooperate with other scientists belonging to educational and research organizations and fertilizer industries to improve upon the efficacy of applied micro- and secondary nutrients to crops and minimize heavy metal pollution in soil and environment.

Date of start of the Project : 1st April 1967
Date of completion of the project : Continue
Budget (Plan-wise)
Head wise summary of Sanctioned Budget outlay IX Plan (1997-2002) (Rs Lakhs)

Head Total ICAR Share State share
Pay and allowances
Traveling allowance
Recurring contingencies
Non-recurring contingencies
434.00
12.50
102.50
85.50
338.00
11.00
86.00
70.00
96.00
1.50
16.50
15.50
Total Budget 634.50 505.00 129.50


Details of Personnel Sanctioned Posts Staff in Position
Scientific 37 37
Technical 29 29
Administrative 11 11
Supporting 14 14
Total 90 90


For more detail information please contact to:
Dr. .M.V.Singh
Project Coordinator (Micronutrients)
Indian Institute of Soil Science (ICAR),
Nabibagh, Berasia Road, Bhopal - 462 038, Madhya Pradesh, India
Ph. (O) 0755-734487, 730970, (R) 0755-766759
Fax. 0755- 733310, Email: mvs@iiss.mp.nic.in
Enet: drmvsingh@yahoo.com.