Organic fertilizers do, indeed, have valuable properties as soil amendments. In particular, their humus content enhances the efficiency of mineral fertilizer, improves soil structure, increases water retention by soil, and decreases soil erosion. Organic substance which have a very low nitrogen content or a high C/N ratio, can given rise temporarily to nitrogen deficiency in plant and consequently reduce the yield. All the nutrient elements are prevent to some extent in soil or other natural materials in forms useful for the plants but, with the frequent exception of micro-nutrients such supply in generally not adequate for sustained aid economic production of crops.
The demand for fertilisers is divisible into three nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphates (P2O5) and potash (K). Potash is used in the mineral form and is mainly imported for India's fertiliser requirements. Some plants produce only nitrogenous fertilisers, a few phosphatic and others mixed. The per hectare consumption of fertiliser nutrients increased from less than a kg in 1950-51 to over 113 kg in 2006-07. Even the latter is low when compared to global standards. Nutrient-wise, the installed capacity of the industry at the beginning of 2008 was composed of 12 mn TPA of nitrogen and over 5.7 mn tpa of phosphatic fertilisers. This facilitates the development of new technologies and ensures a high quality product.
Few Indian major players are as under
· Amico Agrotech (O P C) Pvt. Ltd.
· Arawali Phosphate Ltd.
· Aries Agro Ltd.
· Basant Agro Tech (India) Ltd.
· Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corpn. Ltd.
· Coimbatore Pioneer Fertilzers Ltd.