Textile Ministry to organize seminar on crop nutrition

Islamabad, October 19, (APP):Ministry of Textile Industry would organize one-day seminar on ‘cotton crop nutrition’ in order to promote use of organic fertilizers against the use of synthetic fertilizers for enhancing and maintaining the soil health to achieve maximum per-acre output of different crops in the country.
He said that the event would be held at Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI),Multan on October 20 (Friday), where as the Minister of State for Textile Industry would inaugurate the seminar.
The other aim of the event is to highlight the importance of the application of organic fertilizers and encourage the farmers to use it for a healthy an environment friendly agriculture production in the country, said Cotton Commissioner in the Ministry of Textile Industry Dr Khalid Abdullah.
During the event the farmers would be introduced and trained about the use of organic fertilizers and maintaining the soil health as against the use of synthetic fertilizer and its after effects on soil and its health.
They would be apprised about the slow-release nature of organic fertilizers, which offers environmental advantages and nutrient filled food crop production for domestic production as well as exporting to fetch a reasonable foreign exchange reserves for the country.
He informed that the excessive use of chemical fertilizers are water-soluble, which allows any excess unused fertilizer to be washed away by rain or heavy watering and eventually enter groundwater and pollute streams and lakes.
He said natural fertilizers improve moisture retention in the soil, making leaching less likely. In addition, ingredients in organic fertilizers are naturally biodegradable.
As many as 200 people including farmers, cotton growers, ginners, scientists, field extension workers of the agriculture department of the provincial governments are likely to attend the day-long event to learn the use of organic fertilizers for the production of nutritious staple food crops like cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane and maize.