Site Specific Nutrient Management (SSNM)

SSNM a relatively new approach of nutrient recommendations, is mainly based on the

indigenous nutrient supply from the soil and nutrient demand of the crop for achieving
targeted yield.
OR
Site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) is the dynamic, field-specific management of
nutrients in a particular cropping season to optimize the supply and demand of nutrients
according to their differences in cycling through soil-plant systems." (Dobermann and
White, 1999)
KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER –
1. Site-Specific Nutrient management (SSNM) optimizes he supply of soil nutrients over
space
and time to match crop requirements.
2. SSNM increases crop productivity and improves efficiency of fertilizer use.
3. SSNM mitigates greenhouse gases from agriculture in areas with high nitrogen fertilizer
use.
4. Incentives for adoption of SSN.M depend strongly on fertilizer prices.
5. SSNM is an approach of supplying plants with nutrients to optimally match their
inherent spatial and temporal needs for supplemental nutrients by using different tools of
SSNM such as remote sensing, GPS, GIS systems, VRT, yield monitoring.
6. The SSNM helps in improving NUE as it provides an approach for feeding crops like rice,
maize, wheat, etc. with nutrients as and when needed. The major benefit for farmers
from improved nutrient management strategy is an increase in the profitability.
7. Site-specific management allows for fine-tuning crop management systems along with
4R Nutrient Stewardship — the right source, rate, time, and place of nutrient use.

Principles of SSNM:
SSNM is an approach to feed crops with nutrients as and when needed. The application
and management of nutrients are dynamically adjusted to crop needs of location and
seasons. SSNM provides an approach for the timely application of fertilizers at optimal
rates to fill the deficit between the nutrient needs of a high yielding crops and the
nutrient supply from naturally occurring indigenous sources, including soil, crop residues,
manures and irrigation water. SSNM technologies can enhance NUE, improve and sustain
crop productivity, profitability; avoid nutrient wastage; maintain good soil health
and environmental safety.
 ➢ Five key steps for developing field-specific fertilizer NPK recommendations -
1. Selection Of the Yield Goal -
A yield goal exceeding 70-80 % of the variety —specific potential yield (Ymax) has to be chosen.
➢ Ymax is defined as the maximum possible grain yield limited only by climatic conditions of the
site, where there are no other factors limiting crop growth. The logic behind selection of the yield
goal to the extent of 70-80 % of the Ymax is that internal NUEs decrease at very high yield levels
near Ymax.
2. Assessment of Crop Nutrient Requirement –
The nutrient uptake requirements of a crop depend both on yield goal and Ymax.
In SSNM, nutrient requirements are estimated with the help of Quantitative Evaluation of Fertility of
Tropical Soils (QUEFTS) models.
Nutrient requirements for a particular yield goal of a crop variety may be smaller in a high yielding
season than in low yielding one.
3. Estimation of Indigenous Nutrient Supplies :- Indigenous nutrient supply (INS) is defined as the total
amount of a particular nutrient that is available to the crop from the soil during the cropping cycle, when
other nutrients are no-limiting.
> The INS is derived from soil incorporated crop residues, water and atmospheric deposition.
4. Computation of Fertilizer Nutrient Rates :-
Field-specific fertilizer N, P or K recommendations are calculated on the basis of above steps (1-3) and
the expected fertilizer recovery efficiency (RE-kg of fertilizer nutrient taken up by the crop per kg of the
applied nutrient).
Studies indicated RE values of 40-60 % for N, 20-30 % for P, 40-50 % for K in rice under normal growing
conditions.
5. Dynamic Adjustment of N Rates :-
Whereas, fertilizer P and K are applied basally (at the time of sowing), the N rates and application
schedules can be further adjusted as per the crop demand by using chlorophyll meter (SPAD) and Leaf
Colour Chart (LCC).
Recent on farm studies in India have revealed a significant advantage of SPAD/LCC based N management
schedules in rice and wheat in terms of yield gain, N use efficiency and economic returns over the
conventionally recommended N application involving 2-3 splits during crop growth.
SPAD based N application resulted in a saving of 55 kg N/ha as compared to Soil Test Crop Response
(STCR) based N application.

I HOPE YOU FOUND THESE NOTES HELPFUL.

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