Farmers urged to use fertilisers carefully for soil health

The Agricultural Land Management Division (ALMD) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining (MOAFM) is urging farmers to be careful how they use fertilisers for plant development.

The call comes as the division focuses on sustainable soil management practices, which include educating farmers on the dangers of over-fertilisation.

Senior Agricultural Chemist at the ALMD, Aldaine Gordon, told JIS News that over-fertilisation can do as much damage to the soil as other threats, including soil erosion.

“Some farmers who are not investing in precision agriculture might just believe that the correct thing is to just fertilise. But its indiscriminate use can contribute to soil degradation,” he said.

Other factors, such as climate change, can negatively affect the soil by damaging important microorganisms in the soil.

The ripple effect could result in compromising food systems by damaging plants and jeopardising food security.

“Users can over-fertilise, as you might have an abundance of what is already there in the soil. There are other issues on a physical level, such as soil compaction that may exist, but (over-fertilisation) might be one of the major threats,” said Gordon.

Other threats to soil health include soil pollution, which can result from industrial activities.

“That also goes back to how we sustainably preserve our environment and, in this case, particularly the soil, but I think the major threat right now from an agricultural perspective is potentially over-fertilisation. We're not taking soil tests seriously to guide our fertiliser application habits in Jamaica,” stated Gordon.

The ALMD, a division within the Technical Services Directorate of the MOAFM, is committed to promoting soil health as a cornerstone of sustainable agricultural development in Jamaica.

 As part of its mandate, the ALMD works to improve soil fertility, advocates for best practices in land use, and fosters the sustainable management of agricultural resources.

Through these efforts, the division aims to contribute to Jamaica’s long-term agricultural sustainability and environmental health.