Context: 

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra officially launched ‘Urea Gold’ fertilizer.

About Urea Gold: 

• It is basically urea fortified with Sulphur.
• Developed by: The state-owned Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd (RCF)
• Composition: Urea Gold contains 37% nitrogen (N) and 17% Sulphur, differing from regular urea’s 46% nitrogen composition.

• Objectives: 
  • Addressing Sulphur (S) deficiency in Indian soils, especially crucial for oilseeds and pulses.
  • Enhancing the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of urea through a gradual release of nitrogen. Coating of S over urea ensures a more gradual release of N.
• Commercial Aspects:
  • Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd (RCF) has yet to launch Urea Gold commercially and disclose pricing details.

Concerns Over Rising Urea Consumption:

• Consumption of Urea: Consumption/Sales rising from 26.7 million tonnes (mt) to 35.7 mt between 2009-10 and 2022-23.
• Imports: In the previous fiscal year, 7.6 million tonnes (mt) of the total 35.7 mt of urea sold were imported.
• Domestic Feedstock: Even domestically-produced urea relies on imported natural gas as its primary feedstock.
  • Comparison with China: India’s annual urea consumption of nearly 36 mt ranks second only to China’s 51 mt, which primarily relies on coal-based production.
• Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) Issue:
  • Utilization: Merely about 35% of the nitrogen (N) applied through urea is effectively used by crops to generate harvest yields.
  • Losses: Approximately 65% of the nitrogen remains inaccessible to plants. This portion is either released as ammonia gas into the atmosphere or leaches into the ground as nitrate.
  • Impact on Farming: The decreasing NUE, which was around 48% in the early 1960s, has resulted in farmers needing to apply larger quantities of fertilizer to achieve the same yield.

Way Forward: 

• Fortification Approach
  • Proposed approach involves coating fertilizers for improved efficacy.
  • Primary nutrient fertilizers should be coated with secondary nutrients (S, calcium, magnesium) and micronutrients (zinc, boron, manganese, molybdenum, iron, copper, nickel).
• Benefits of Coating:
  • Coated fertilizers serve as effective “carrier products” to deliver additional nutrients to crops.
  • Coating enhances N and P use efficiency through controlled release and synergistic effects.
  • Losses in fertilizers like urea due to ammonia volatilization and nitrate leaching are reduced.

News Source: The Indian Express