Boosting productivity

Nano-fertilisers will improve efficiency

India’s heavily import-dependent fertiliser sector seems set for a radical transformation, thanks to the introduction of the novel nano-technology in the production and use of plant nutrients. After the successful launch of nano-urea in 2021, which has generated hopes of ending by 2024-26 the import of urea, the most-consumed fertiliser, the government has now approved the commercial release of nano-DAP (di-ammonium phosphate), the second-most used plant nutrient as well. This, coupled with the anticipated availability of nano-versions of other fertilisers in near future, is likely to completely obviate the need to buy fertilisers from abroad in the next four to five years. More importantly, the government’s fertiliser subsidy bill, estimated at Rs 2.25 trillion this year, can be expected to drop to nil, sparing funds for other purposes. The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative, which has pioneered the research, development and commercialisation of these patent-protected fertilisers, is said to be getting requests from other countries seeking this technology, but it has chosen to leave it to the government to take a call on this issue.

The first batch of nano-DAP produced by this cooperative giant and private sector firm Coromandel International is slated to hit the market by July to coincide with the upcoming kharif sowing season. A  500 ml bottle of nano-DAP, equivalent to a 50-kg bag of conventional DAP, is likely to cost the farmers around Rs 600, less than half the heavily subsidised price of Rs 1,350 for normal DAP. The actual production cost of conventional DAP is around Rs 4,000 per bag. The nano-versions of other fertilisers, including those containing the third-most important plant nutrient potash and micro nutrients like zinc and copper, are said to be in advanced stages of development. The availability of these new-generation fertilisers would, besides making the country self-reliant in these vital farm inputs, offer several other advantages, such as saving on fertiliser subsidies, minimising damage to the environment, and, more importantly, facilitating higher farm output at lower cost to boost the profitability of agriculture and raise farmers’ income.

Nano-fertilisers containing soil nutrients in ultra-minuscule-sized particles, measuring less than one-billionth of a millimetre, generally prove more effective suppliers of plant nutrition because of the larger number of particles per unit of volume, a higher cumulative surface area, and greater water solubility. On being sprayed on leaves, nano-particles easily penetrate the stomata and other openings to get assimilated in plant cells. Scientific studies have validated the positive impact of nano-fertilisers on seed germination and plant growth because of their higher permeability and more efficient nutrient delivery. This has proved true in farmers’ fields as well. The crops sprayed with liquid nano-urea, for instance, have been found to give a 3-16 per cent higher yield than those treated with equivalent quantities of granulated urea. The environmental and ecological advantages of nano-fertilisers are, in fact, getting greater attention than even their salubrious impact on crops, given that climate change is turning out to be the most formidable challenge to farming. Thanks to their better absorption by plants, nano-fertilisers do not pollute air, soil and water the way normal fertilisers do. Their wider application should, therefore, be deemed a significant step towards sustainable and eco-friendly farming.