The findings of a two-year field study conducted by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) recently discovered that the use of Liquid Nano Urea, as opposed to conventional nitrogen fertilisers, resulted in a notable drop in rice and wheat yields. The research has indicated the need for more long-term field trials, extending over 5-7 years, to comprehensively evaluate nano urea’s compatibility with traditional urea and its capacity to preserve crop yields.
Key Findings on the Efficiency of Liquid Nano Urea
A significant reduction in crop yields was observed when nano urea, instead of traditional nitrogen fertilisers, was used. Specifically, the experiment recorded a 21.6% decrease in wheat yield and a 13% drop in rice yield.
Grain Nitrogen Content
The application of nano urea led to a decrease in both rice and wheat crops’ grain nitrogen content. There was a 17% and 11.5% decline in the grain N content of rice and wheat respectively. Lowered grain nitrogen content implies diminished protein levels in the harvested crops. Given that wheat and rice are staple foods in India providing the population with protein and carbohydrates, lower protein content could potentially impact the population’s protein energy requirements.
Cost Considerations
The cost of the nano urea formulation was found to be ten times higher than granular urea. This would significantly increase the cultivation cost for farmers.
Crop Biomass and Root Volume
The use of nano urea resulted in a reduction in above-ground biomass and root volume, leading to a decreased root-surface area. This impacted the plants’ nutrient uptake processes.
About Liquid Nano Urea
Liquid Nano Urea is a form of urea that occurs as nano particles. It works as a nutrient, providing nitrogen to plants as an alternative to conventional urea, which is a chemical nitrogen fertiliser, white in colour. This newer form of urea was developed to replace traditional urea and is said to cut the requirement for the same by at least half. Nano liquid urea, launched in June 2021 by the Indian Farmers and Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO), contains 40,000 mg/L of nitrogen in a 500 ml bottle. This quantity is equivalent to the impact of nitrogen nutrient provided by one bag of conventional urea.
Development and Application
Nano Urea has been developed indigenously at IFFCO’s Nano Biotechnology Research Centre in Kalol, Gujrat. Its development aligns with India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat and Atmanirbhar Krishi initiatives. The new fertiliser formulation is applied as a foliar spray, meaning it should only be used once leaves appear on crops.
UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question
With reference to chemical fertilisers in India, consider the following statements (2020):
– At present, the retail price of chemical fertilisers is market-driven and not administered by the Government.
– Ammonia, which is an input of urea, is produced from natural gas.
– Sulphur, a raw material for phosphoric acid fertiliser, is a by-product of oil refineries.
The correct answer is (b), with only statements 2 and 3 being correct.
