Integrated Nutrient Management

Nutrients are essential for plant growth, but on smallholders ' farms, an inadequate supply is a key impediment to sustainable food production. Integrated nutrient management (INM) utilizes available organic and inorganic nutrients to build ecologically sound and economically viable farming systems. INM optimizes all aspects of nutrient- l cycling- supply uptake, and loss to the environment- to improve food I production. This Note describes interven-tions that may be applied to a range of agroecological zones, cropping systems. 4 and soil types. The interventions address-a few key aspects of nutrient maniagement, including improving orgaanic matter in the i soil, increasing plant-available nitrogen, and supplying both organic and inorganic l fertilizers. These interveentions have the E