Introduction

• Integrated plant nutrition system (IPNS) is a concept to integrate all available means of soil, nutrients and crop management so as to achieve optimum productivity and sustainability.
• It also includes the complementary and efficient use of external inputs where locally available sources of plant nutrients are not sufficient to achieve an optimum yield.
• It emphasizes on the principle that fertilizer and manure should be applied on the basis of soil fertility status, crop demand and available resources.
• It is therefore, an approach that seeks to both increase agricultural production and safeguard the environment for the future.

Goals of INM

• INM is a holistic approach to manage soils in the larger environment. In general, nutrient management aims to achieve four broad, interrelated goals:
• Cost-effective production of high-quality plants
• Efficient use and conservation of nutrient resources
• Maintenance or enhancement of soil quality (physical, chemical and biological processes)
• Protection of all environment components along with soil.