About 21 per cent of the total four lakh hectares of cultivable land in the district suffered from acute zinc and sulphur deficiency. The black and red black soil was neutral to alkaline and contained lime modules in the profile, Dr Bipin Bihari Bhol, scientist in the regional Krushi Gabesana Kendra, said.

Dr Bhol said that zinc was bound in such soil complex and not released to the plant due to pre-ponderance of calcium and consequent higher ph. This affected photosynthesis in most of the crop plants leading to poor or no yield.

Similarly, sulphur deficiency affected protein synthesis in the plant, he said.

In case of zinc deficiency, paddy plants appeared brown and tillering was suppressed. Plants perished due to impaired photosynthesis, Bhol said.

Bhol said that sulphur deficiency caused the young terminal leaves turn whitish and pale yellow.

Describing it as a common scenario in the affected areas of Kalahandi district during the kharif season, he said it was very pronounced in Narla, Kesinga, Junagarh, Golamunda and Bhawanipatna Sadar blocks.

The scientist said that zinc could be supplemented through application of zinc sulphate at the rate of ten kg per hectare for high yielding variety of paddy as zinc was a vital component in the photosynthetis process.

On the other hand, sulphur deficiency could be removed through application of elemental sulphur or farm aid manure or single super sulphate or gypsum.

Bhol said that farmers generally used di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) which was sulphur free and was not very useful. In such conditions, SSP would be a better alternative, he said.

The scientist suggested that a special project should be launched to study the problem and restore the soil into the productive mode.