Soil Fertility - An Important Aspect of Sustainable Agriculture

This main objective of the paper is to emphasize the role of soil fertility in sustainable agriculture and why this is an urgent need especially for developing nations. It starts providing some definitions of sustainable agriculture and discussing its economic, environmental and sociological influences. The central role of soil fertility in the developing regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America is emphasized by calling attention to rapidly increasing populations and agricultural lands either shrinking or decreasing in quality. A brief analysis is made of the field of soil fertility and how it can be made sustainable under the conditions prevailing in the developing world, although some examples are also provided from other countries, including the United States. Some of the topics discussed are the essential plant nutrients, organic matter, nutrient interactions, organic manure, cropping systems and fertilizer use, and soil quality.