World fertilizer market review and outlook; fertilizer production and consumption trends-India; soil fertility and fertilizer management in semiarid tropical India - a historical perspective; soil fertility problems in the semiarid tropics of Africa; elements of climate - their relevance to crop productivity and fertilizer use planning in the semiarid tropics; nitrogen availability in SAT soils: environmental effectson soil processes; nitrogen fertilizers - their use and management i the Indian semiarid tropics; management of fertilizer nutrients other than nitrogen in the semiarid tropics of India; significance of biological nitrogen fixation and organic manures in soil fertility management;fertilizer use on soils of the semiarid tropics - economic and socialfactors; simulation of N dynamics in cropping systems of the semiarid tropics; fertilizer and soil fertility research needs in the nineties with special reference to semiarid tropical India.