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The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, a non-governmental organisation providing agricultural scientists a forum to Interact on important agricultural issues, released a policy paper

entitled Fertiliser Policy Issues (2000-2025) - agricultural scilentirts perreptions - in New Delhi on April 15,1997. Based on a symposium held in 1996 on the use of fertilisers in

agriculture,the paper assesses the future needs for the country, highlighting the variousproblems faced due to imbalance In the use of fertilisers and the possiblenutrient Inputs that could

be used to increase production with minimalenvironmental damage. Expressing concern on the continuous disparity in the use of fertilisers indifferent agroclimatic zones - Punjab continues to

use 176 k9 of ferfillisers perhe while Assam uses only 13 kg per he - R S Paroda, director-general of theIndian Council of Agricultural Research emphasised on the need for a

nationalfertiliser policy for a more uniform application of fertilisers. Noting the poor organic matter Content of Indian soils, the paper recommends the regular application of organic

manure and recycling of cropresidues to sustain productivity. Paroda and renowned agricultural scientistM S Swaminathan expressed concern at the poor health of soils in India."Unless

the soil health is nurtured and taken care of, we can forget about foodsecurity," said Swaminathan bluntly. Keeping this in mind, the paper recom-mends the use of blo-fertilisers,

organic manurial resources, green manuringand the incorporation of legumes in the cropping pattern.