Chemical Fertilizer in Bihar

Farmer Raj Gir Prasad uses only chemical fertilizers on his crops of cabbage, maize and tomato. A significant amount of the nutrients applied are not recovered in the harvested crop but lost to the soil, water and atmosphere.

Unique identifier: GP0471O

Type: Image

Shoot date: 31/01/2012

Locations: Bihar, India

Credit line: © Karan Vaid / Greenpeace

Ranking: ★★★★ (E)

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Documentation of Fertilizer Usage in Bihar

Documentation of the use of chemical and organic fertilizer in Bihar, India. The state of Bihar needs to move away from chemical fertilizers to save money, livelihoods, health, ecology and to sustain farming in the state, according to a Greenpeace India report, launched in March 2013. The study revealed that around 70% of the nitrogen chemical fertilizer applied to Bihar farms might be lost, with both monetary and environmental impacts. These nitrogen fertilizers contaminate drinking water and might cause serious health impacts such as blue-baby syndrome (methemoglobinemia) and cancer.

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