Contents: Foreword. 1. Introduction. 2. Fertilizer in India production and consumption. 3. Description of the study area and sample design. 4. Review of literature and concepts. 5. Economics of cultivation and fertilizer use for three selected crops. 6. Determinants of fertilizer use on three selected crops. 7. Demand for fertilizer in Tamil Nadu. 8. Summary of major findings and policy suggestions. Appendix: Interview schedule. Bibliography. Index.

"This book is a comprehensive study on the Economic Analysis of Fertiliser Use for Major Crops in Madurai District of Tamil Nadu at the micro level and the demand for fertilizer at the macro level. It deals with the fertiliser use on three crops namely, rice, sugarcane and cotton.

The study pertains to the micro as well as macro aspects of fertilizer use. A micro analysis would help us to understand the problems and to recommend solutions specific to the particular region. The macro analysis would serve as a guiding factor in framing policies concerning the whole economy. It would be appropriate to a great extent to formulate macro economic policies for the development based on micro economic inferences.

The study relating to determinants of fertilizer use of the popular varieties of three major crops at micro level is instrumental to find out the degree of influence of each explanatory variable exercised over the dependent variables. This would help to suggest possible ways of improving farm management.

The author tries to focus on the factors determining the increase in fertilizer demand in the country. The use of Nerlovian model would help us to understand the influence of lagged variables on fertilizer use.

The study encompasses the guidelines to be followed by the Government in the matter of withdrawal of fertilizer subsidy. It also envisages them to pay more importance on various economic factors." (jacket)