Nano Fertilizers

August 5, 2023

GS Paper III Agriculture Indian Economy

Context:

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) had conducted trials at 20 selected locations on selected crops to study the effect of IFFCO’s nano-urea (liquid) as a foliar spray.

More on News:

The study showed that nano-urea can replace conventional urea for top-dressing.
It combines nano urea with basal application of conventional urea resulting in a yield advantage of 3-8%.
Based on the trials, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare provisionally notified Nano Urea as Nano Nitrogen Fertilizers in Fertilizer Control Order, 1985.

5.3

About Nano Urea:

Nano-formulations or nano-sized fertilizers are made from ammonium humate, ammonia, urea, peat, plant wastes, and other synthetic fertilizers.
They 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.
Nano-fertilizers are released very slowly in comparison to conventional fertilizers.
They are specifically designed to release active ingredients in response to biological demands and environmental stress.
Benefits:
- Help to bring down India’s fertilizer import bill.
- It is also expected to contribute to bringing down the annual subsidy on non-urea fertilizers.

About Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited:

IFFCO is a large scale fertilizer cooperative federation in India which is registered as Multistate Cooperative Society.
Established in 1967 with only 57 cooperatives, the organization has now grown into a massive conglomerate comprising over 36,000 Indian cooperatives.
It is one of India’s biggest cooperative societies which is wholly owned by Indian Cooperatives.
Headquarter: New Delhi

Nanotechnology:

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on a near-atomic scale to produce new structures, materials and devices.
Applications: It promises scientific advancement in many sectors such as medicine, consumer products, energy, materials, and manufacturing.