Trends And Patterns of Chemical Fertilizer Consumption in Kerala

Abstract

  Fertilizers provide essential nutrients to plants such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that are necessary for their optimal growth and development. Using fertilizers excessively or improperly can cause environmental problems such nutrient overflow into water bodies, soil deterioration, and air pollution. The total fertilizer consumption in 2021-2022 amounted to 63.94 million tonnes, indicating a marginal decrease of 5.4% from the previous fiscal year. In 2020-2021, India's chemical fertilizer consumption recorded 62.98 million tons, marking a substantial growth of over 82.5% since the baseline year of 2000-2001 (Centre for Science and Environment, 2022).The present study focus attention on the trends and pattern of chemical fertilizer consumption and Multi -dimensional drivers behind the surge in chemical fertilizer consumption in Kerala