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Definition
"The primary goal of integrated nutrient management
(INM) is to combine old and new methods of nutrient management
into ecologically sound and economically viable farming systems
that utilize available organic and inorganic sources of nutrients
in a judicious and efficient way. Integrated nutrient management
optimizes all aspects of nutrient cycling. It attempts to
achieve tight nutrient cycling with synchrony between nutrient
demand by the crop and nutrient release in the soil, while
minimizing losses through leaching, runoff, volatilization
and immobilization" (L. Hosner and A. Juo).
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Related topics
Background information on soils
Soil health management
Soil conservation (erosion
control, tillage, moisture conservation)
Integrated nutrient management (INM): Overview
INM: Replenishing soil organic
matter
INM: Replenishing mineral nutrients
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Relevant literature
Available in PDF format
 Scientific
references: INM
Available on the Internet
INM Issues and challenges
- Website: IFPRI
(enter the term "INM" in the search bar, select
the article near the top of the list and scroll down the
new page to find the 158K PDF of the discussion paper)
- Reference: Gruhn, P., F. Goletti and M. Yudelman. 2000.
Integrated nutrient management, soil fertility, and sustainable
agriculture: current issues and future challenges. International
Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, D.C.
- Description: This 38-page paper reviews some of the key
soil management and policy challenges we face if we are
to produce enough food to feed a world population projected
to exceed 7.5 billion people by the year 2020.
INM in upland farming systems of the tropics
- Website: Food
and Fertilizer Technology Center
- Reference: Hosner, L.R. and A. Juo. Soil nutrient management
for sustained food crop production in upland farming systems
of the tropics.
- Description: This is an excellent review of soil fertility
constraints and appropriate management strategies for soils
in tropical rainfed cropping systems.
Facilitating INM innovation with farmers
- Website: Nutrient
Monitoring for Tropical Farming Systems
- Reference: Deugd, M., N. Roling, and E.M.A. Smaling. 1998.
A new praxeology for integrated nutrient management, facilitating
innovation with and by farmers. Agr., Ecosyst., And Env.
71: 269-283.
- Description: This paper provides guidelines for the development
of INM learning, drawing upon earlier successful experiences
of facilitating farmer learning about integrated pest management.
The authors believe that appropriate strategies would focus
on "enhancing the farmers' capacity to observe, experiment,
discuss, evaluate, and plan ahead."
INM Guidelines, Manuals, and Reference Materials
- Website: FAO/documents
on soil productivity improvement through farmer field schools
- Reference: FAO. 2000. Guidelines and Reference Materials
for Integrated Nutrient Management and Conservation for
Farmer Field Schools (Publication series: AGL/Misc/27;
178 p; 9167 KB).
- Description: An FAO publication designed to assist facilitators
"in the development and implementation of effective
farmer field schools (FFS) focused on Integrated Soil
and Nutrient Management and Conservation". Facilitators
are meant to adapt the materials "to the agro-ecological
environment, the cropping/farming systems, and the socioeconomic
conditions and educational level of the farmers in the
areas where the FFS are to be implemented."
- Website: FAO/documents
on soil productivity improvement through farmer field schools
- Reference: Guidelines for Participatory Diagnosis
of Constraints and Opportunities (PDCO) for Soil and
Plant Nutrient Management (FAO, 2000). (98 pages; 2.2
MB; French version also available).
- Description: "These guidelines cover the use
of selected methods and tools of participatory diagnosis
of constraints and opportunities at farm household and
community levels. They lead to a better understanding
of farmers' constraints for soil and plant nutrient
management and promote their participation in finding
solutions."
- Website: FAO/documents
on soil productivity improvement through farmer field schools
- Reference: Farmer Field School on Integrated Soil
Management: Facilitator's manual (Farm Programme, 1998).
(Chapters 1-5, 69 pages, 1.0 MB; Chapters 6-9, 70 pages,
402 KB; Reference materials, 79 pages, 3.6 MB).
- Description: "This facilitator's manual is based
on the experience of the FARM programme. The manual
was produced to provide farming communities with more
technical information particularly in relation to soil
management, improved fertilizer use effieciency, increased
outputs and control of costs."
- Website: FAO/documents
on soil productivity improvement through farmer field schools
- Reference: Soil and Water Conservation - with a focus
on Water Harvesting and Soil Moisture Retention: a study
guide for Farmer Field Schools and Community-based Study
Groups (FARMESA, 2003). Version 1.1.
- Description: "This study guide is intended to
assist farmers in learning and experimenting on improved
soil and water management. The target groups for the
study guide are, Farmer Field Schools, village farmer
groups and agricultural extension staff. The study guide
includes 7 chapters."
- Website: FAO/documents
on soil productivity improvement through farmer field schools
- Reference: Guía Salud de Suelos - Soil Health
Guide (Spanish) (Cornell and Zamorano, 2002).
- Description: "This soil health handbook provides
applied information about soil health to 'promotors'
and to literate farmers. It links and synthesizes scientific
knowledge from the Cornell soil health group together
with local knowledge from many groups in Honduras. The
information differs from the normal soil conservation
and management literature in that the soil is viewed
from the perspective of management of the biota. At
present only the Spanish version is available."
Soil fertility and plant nutrition
- Website: FAO/Online
documents on soil fertility and plant nutrition
- Reference: FAO. 2005. Farmer Field Schools Facilitators'
Manual - Volume 1 - Integrated Soil, Water and Nutrient
Management in Semiarid Zimbabwe.
- Description: This manual focuses on "the basic
principles of plant production and land management in
the semiarid zone of southern and western Zimbabwe. It
describes the various properties and functions of the
soil relevant for cropping and the water and nutrient
cycles in the agro-ecosystem. The manual is intended for
extension and research staff involved in field-level farmer
education and for farmers trained as FFS facilitators."
- Website: FAO/Online
documents on soil fertility and plant nutrition
- Reference: FAO. 2000. Guidelines for On-farm Plant
Nutrition and Soil Management Trials and Demonstrations.
Miscellaneous Publication 26. (PDF : 467 KB).
- Description: A guidebook designed for researchers
who are engaged in on-farm experimentation but may not
have ready access to statistical advice. The book reviews
issues related to experimental design, data collection,
and data analysis for on-farm soil management trials.
Soil moisture management
- Website: FAO
soil bulletin 79
- Reference: Shaxson, F. and R. Barber. 2003. Optimizing
soil moisture for plant production: the significance of
soil porosity. FAO, Rome. FAO Soil's Bulletin 79.
- Description: Appropriate soil moisture management strategies
should also be considered as part and parcel of the INM
approach. This book gives the theoretical underpinning of
soil moisture problems and provides numerous practical strategies
for improving soil water management.
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Relevant links
Managing Africa's Soils
International Institute for Environment and Development
- Website:IIED
publication search results
- Reference: Managing Africa's Soils series
- Description: Most of the 26 publications in their Managing
Africa's Soil series deal with issues that are relevant
to an INM approach. The reports are available in PDF format.
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