World’s Soil Resources

show that crop yields in China can be increased by 20-30 percent with no increase in input of fertilizer simply
by using ISSM technologies (Chen et al., 2014). However, in the least developed countries increased use of
fertilizer would greatly boost crop yields, as has happened in China during the past 30 years. For the developed
countries, promoting mixed crop and livestock production systems could be the best choice to mitigate
nutrient losses
Figure 10.3 Nitrogen surplus or depletion, and nutrient use efficiency in crop production in Asia and the Middle East in 2010.
10.5 | Case studies
10.5.1 | Case study for India
The area of India is 328.2 million ha, of which 141 million ha is under cultivation. The country is bordered by
the Arabian Sea in the west, the Bay of Bengal in the east, and the Himalayas in the north. Physiographically,
India is divided into four broad divisions: (i) Himalayan Range (Northern Mountains); (ii) Hill regions, Indian
Peninsula and Eastern Plateau; (iii) the great Indo-Gangetic Plains and Coastal Plains; and (iv) the Islands
(Singh, 1971). India is endowed with diverse climates and there are three distinct main seasons (rainy, winter
and summer). The country is influenced by monsoonal type climate and rainfall. Annual rainfall varies from
less than 100 mm in the cold desert area of Jammu & Kashmir, Lahaul Spiti and the Thar Desert of Rajasthan
to over 11 000 mm in Cherrapunji in Meghalaya. Mean annual temperatures in the country vary from 8 to
28°C. Variation in the mean summer and mean winter temperature in the northern region is