Nitrates, agriculture and environment

Nitrogen is a very important nutrient element in agriculture. In soils it o ccurs in organic and inorganic forms. Inorganic N occurs primarily as nitra te in arable soils. Nitrate is subject to various processes such as plant u ptake, leaching from soils among others. Leaching of nitrates from soils is a global phenomenon. Although a lot of attention has been paid world over on this phenomenon, its importance is being felt recently in developing cou ntries like India where the emphasis has been on the problems related to in creased food production from limited cultivable land. However, maintaining delicate agro-ecosystems in order to achieve sustainable agricultural produ ctivity while protecting the environment has attracted the attention of sci entists and policy makers. This article discusses the phenomenon of nitrate leaching from soils, its impact on man and animals and means to minimize t he leaching. Nitrate leaching could be a major threat to environment in dif ferent agricultural situations. By proper management of agricultural system s, these leaching losses could be reduced and pollution problems can be min imized.