Nano-Fertilisers

In News

• Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) has provisionally notified Nano Urea as Nano Nitrogen Fertilisers in Fertilizer Control Order, 1985.

Nano-Fertilisers

• Meaning: Nano-formulations or nano-sized fertilisers are made from ammonium humate, ammonia, urea, peat, plant wastes, and other synthetic fertilisers.
  • An example of nano-formulation is nano-sized nitrogen (N) fertiliser which is prepared as a result of deposition of urea on calcium cyanamide.
• Formulation: Nano-fertilisers are developed using both mechanical and biochemical processes, i.e., materials are grounded to obtain nano-sized particles through mechanical means and biochemical techniques are employed to obtain effective nanoscale formulations.
• Difference: Nano-fertilisers are released very slowly in comparison to conventional fertilisers.
  • Nano-fertilisers are specifically designed to release active ingredients in response to biological demands and environmental stress.
• Recently, the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) introduced the world’s first Nano Urea Liquid for farmers across the world.

Benefits/ Significance of Nano-Fertilisers

• Application of Nano Urea results in better crop productivity.
• This is regarded as an excellent alternative to chemical fertilisers because it promotes growth and reduces environmental pollution.
• Nano-fertilisers also reduce the crop cycle period and increase crop yield.
• The unique properties of nanoparticles, such as high absorption capacity, the increased surface to volume ratio, and controlled-release kinetics to targeted sites, make them a potential plant growth enhancer.

Limitations of Nano-Fertilisers

• Lack of a nano-fertiliser risk management system
• Lack of production and availability of nano fertilisers in required quantities. This limits the wider scale adoption of nano-fertilisers as a source of plant nutrients.
• The high cost of nano fertilisers
• Lack of standardisation in the formulation process. This brings about different results of the same nanomaterial under various pedoclimatic conditions.

Steps taken by the Government

• Department has also issued guidelines for development of entrepreneurs for drone spraying of liquid fertilisers.
• Use of Nano Urea is promoted through different activities such as awareness camps, webinars, nukkad nataks, field demonstrations, kisan sammelans and films in regional languages etc.

Source: PIB