IMPHOS Programmes on phosphate in ASIA

Since the green revolution was launched in the early 1960's, considerable progress has been made in agriculture development in Asian countries. For about four decades, agricultural production has been growing steadily. It averaged a 2.2% annual increase between 1983 and 1993, while population grew by 1.7% annually. The majority of Asian countries became self-sufficient in rice production, though they remain dependent on imports to meet their wheat and maize requirements. Imports of these two commodities account for 40 million tons in 1998.

Fertilizer (NPK) consumption was raised and passed from 2.2 million tons at the end of the 1970's to 53 million tons in 1996, a figure which represents about 50% of the world consumption. It remains true that this figure hides a wide variability of fertilizer use among Asian countries, from an average of 60 kg/ha of nutrients in Thailand, 74 kg/ha in India, to 100 kg/ha in Bangladesh. These application rates, some times below the average recommendations of research and extension services, are exacerbated by the nutrient imbalance in the mineral fertilizer. Indeed, the average NPK application ratio in Asia is currently 1 :0.33 : 0.11, compared to the world average ratio of 1: 05: 0.4.

This situation means that great effort needs still to be made in Asia in order to promote intensive farming and crop diversification that will meet the requirements for food crops such as cereals other than rice, fruits, and animal products.

IMPHOS agronomic programs in Asia have been devised against this setting.
They were designed :

	To increase production of irrigated crops and cropping sequences.
	To realize the potential yields of rainfed crops, particularly those grown on upland acid soils.
	To promote a balanced mineral fertilization for sustainable crop production.

	Phosphorus in tropical soils : assessing deficiency levels and phosphorus requirements.
	Comparative response of maize to fresh and residual phosphorus fertilizer in upland soils of thailand.
	Balanced fertilization through phosphorus promotion at the farm level in pakistan.
	Use of reactive phosphate rock for the rehabilitation of anthropic savannah in indonesia.
	Phosphorus fertilization of food crops on upland soils in indonesia, china and vietnam.
	The use of rock phosphate as a source of p for sugarcane and fodder production on acid soil in china.
	Agronomic and economic evaluation of various phosphate rocks for direct application to acid soils, mainly alfisols and ultisols in several asian countries including india, china, indonesia, and malaysia.
	Use of reactive phosphate rocks for improved crop production in acid sulphate soils in china, indonesia, malaysia, thailand, and vietnam.
	On-farm trials for increased and balanced use of fertilizer in india.
	Recapitalization of soil fertility of upland acid soils in south east asia: village level approach

The implementation of these IMPHOS projects was further strengthened by the convention of a number of regional seminars and workshops among which are the following international conferences:

	Fertilizer management in rainfed agriculture in Southern Asia, New Delhi 1986.
	Phosphorus requirements for sustainable agriculture in Asia and Oceania, Los Banos 1989.
	Phosphate sources for acid soils in the humid tropics of Asia, Kuala Lumpur 1990.
	Nutrient management for Sustainable crop production in Asia, Bali 1996.
	Plant Nutrient management for sustainable agricultural growth, Islamabad 1997.

These international events were an opportunity to review current research works, many of which demonstrated again the prevailing soil deficiency of phosphorus and pointed out appropriate ways to insure a wider dissemination of research findings.

In order to gain support to this important and constant endeavour, IMPHOS has been keen to develop a close cooperation with several national and international research and development agencies, including IRRI, IFDC, FAO, PPI, IBSRAM, ACIAR and CIRAD.

By joining efforts with these organizations, IMPHOS has been able, not only to contribute to the promotion of crop diversification through a better management of the extensive acid upland soils which cover an area of more than 500 million hectares in Asia, but it has also been able to promote balanced fertilization practices, based on the management of plant nutrients for a productive and economically and environmentally sustainable agriculture.