PRAYAGRAJ, Nov. 12 -- Farmers in the Prayagraj division are facing a severe productivity crisis as years of excessive use of chemical fertilisers have degraded soil health and slashed crop yields, according to a new study by the state agriculture department.

An extensive analysis of over 1.2 lakh soil samples by the Regional Soil Testing Laboratory, Prayagraj, revealed alarming declines in organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus levels -- key indicators of soil fertility, officials said.

"The soil health across the division has deteriorated sharply," said Piyush Rai, assistant director, Regional Soil Testing Laboratory.

"Our tests on 84,400 Kharif and 36,440 Rabi crop soil samples from Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, and Fatehpur di...