Nutrient Balance Sheet Approach for Sustainable Soil Fertility Management in the Bundelkhand Region: A Narrative Review

Abstract

The nutrient balance sheet approach provides precisely this kind of systematic accounting. By quantifying all significant pathways of nutrient addition and removal within a defined agricultural system—whether a farm, watershed, or district—the approach generates a net nutrient balance that indicates whether soil fertility reserves are being replenished, maintained, or depleted over time. The Bundelkhand region of north-central India, encompassing parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, is characterised by a semi-arid climate, drought-prone conditions, and widespread soil degradation that severely constrains agricultural productivity. Persistent nutrient mining, imbalanced fertiliser application, and the erosion of fragile soils have progressively depleted the fertility capital of this ecologically sensitive landscape. The nutrient balance sheet approach—a systematic accounting of nutrient inputs and outputs within an agricultural system—offers a rigorous and spatially relevant framework for diagnosing soil fertility decline, guiding fertiliser recommendations, and informing sustainable land management policies. This narrative review synthesises existing knowledge on the agro-ecological context of Bundelkhand, the theoretical underpinnings of the nutrient balance sheet methodology, and its practical implications for improving soil fertility management in the region. The review identifies that Bundelkhand soils are predominantly deficient in nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, zinc, and boron, whilst potassium status varies considerably across soil types. Negative nutrient balances for most major nutrients reflect chronic over-extraction and under-replenishment of soil fertility reserves. Integrated nutrient management strategies combining mineral fertilisers, organic amendments, biofertilisers, and green manures are discussed in the context of restoring nutrient equilibrium. The review further addresses the roles of climate variability, water erosion, and policy frameworks in shaping nutrient dynamics. It is concluded that the institutionalisation of periodic nutrient balance assessments, calibrated to the specific soil–crop systems of Bundelkhand, is essential for achieving long-term agricultural sustainability, food security, and environmental resilience in the region.