ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute has developed an innovative product named EcoLime+, a value-added formulation prepared from industrial by-products such as slag and fly ash enriched with compost which have the potential of saving 10-15% DAP in acid soils of Odisha.
Ecolime+ showed an effective technology of acid soil management and chemical fertilizer saving. The technology has been developed under a Government of Odisha-funded project (SAFAR) aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and waste-to-wealth initiatives.
Apart from that the product supplies important plant nutrients including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, potassium, and zinc, which support better crop growth and soil fertility. Scientific analysis confirmed that harmful elements such as chromium remain well within the permissible limits prescribed under Fertilizer Control Order (FCO) guidelines.
Field evaluations of EcoLime+ have been conducted after soil testing and soil health card distribution in more than 1000 hectares across six districts of Odisha, namely Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Sundargarh, Angul, and Jharsuguda. After testing the soil and approx. 1600 soil health cards were generated and distributed to the farmers and around 1500 farmers across different district were trained. The product has been successfully tested in rice- pulse cropping systems and plantation crops including cashew, lemon, coconut, and mango.
Results from farmers’ fields adaptive trials significant benefits, including: 8–16% increase in rice yield, 12–19% increase in green gram yield, improvement in soil pH by 2–10% and around 15% enhancement in phosphorus availability. The improved nutrient availability can reduce the requirement of chemical fertilizers such as DAP by nearly 10–15%, thereby lowering cultivation costs for farmers. Farmers across different districts have responded positively to the technology, and the initiative has also received appreciation from the Government of Odisha. The technology has been applied for patent protection.
Dr. Pratap Bhattacharyya Principal Scientist & Head, Crop production division of ICAR-CRRI, lead developer of the product explained that large-scale adoption of EcoLime+ can help Odisha transform industrial wastes like fly ash and slag into valuable agricultural resources, reduce chemical fertilizer contributing to circular economy principles, environmental sustainability, and enhanced farm productivity. The technology has high potential to be spread in the acid soil region of Jharkhand, West Bengal and North east regions of the country can also reduce the burden of commercial fertilizers such as DAP by improving phosphorus availability and overall fertilizer use efficiency Dr. Rubina Khanam, scientist and co-developer of the product added that EcoLime+ serves as a source of important secondary and beneficial nutrients such as silicon, calcium, and magnesium, which are particularly important for rice cultivation, helping improve nutrient use efficiency, crop resilience, and sustainable productivity in acid soils.The development reflects the commitment of Indian Council of Agricultural Research towards climate-resilient and sustainable agricultural technologies for farmers.
