The researchers found that both the Indian and the Australian FYM users believed that FYM was good for increasing yield, and most felt that it increased water-holding capacity of soil. However, the knowledge about the plant nutrient value of FYM among the users was very low. Consequently, Indian farmers under-fertilized, whereas the Australian farmers over-fertilized their crops, so that both missed the realisation of optimum gross margins. Moreover, the Australian farmers also faced the potential pollution of dams and waterways.
Researchers found that in the Indian conditions FYM was composted with crop residue and household waste, and hence was low in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium but high in carbon/nitrogen ratio. By contrast in Australia FYM was high in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (especially phosphorus) and low in carbon/nitrogen ratio.
There was an urgent need to understand the nutrient-release characteristics of different FYMs and their effects beyond the first year of application. FYM use in an integrated nutrient management (INM) system needed to be better understood so as to evaluate the manure management practices, application rates, types of complementary fertilizer and costs of various nutrient inputs in relation to the cropping systems. Such information needed developing for use in a participatory approach involving farmers and lot-feeders, directed especially towards those identified as the most effective users of FYM and new technology.
The project created awareness of FYM use among landholders both in India and Australia. In both countries, landholders on Vertisol soils would prefer to use FYM to increase productivity and attain economic and environmental sustainability in an INM system.