06 Jan 2024 Study on the effectiveness of Nano Urea.
This article covers “Daily Current Affairs” and the topic details of “ 2 year study on the effectiveness of Nano Urea.”. This topic is relevant to the Agriculture section of the UPSC CSE exam.
UPSC mains syllabus GS3 : Agriculture
Why in the News?
- When compared to traditional nitrogen (N) fertiliser treatment, researchers at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have observed a significant drop in rice and wheat yields during a two-year field experiment on the effectiveness of nano urea. There was also a decrease in the nitrogen content of the grains, which is necessary for the synthesis of protein.
- The findings highlight the need for additional extended field tests lasting from five to seven years in order to determine whether nano urea is sustainable in sustaining crop yields and whether it is comparable to regular urea.
Important Findings about Liquid Nano Urea’s Efficacy
- Yield Decline: When nano urea was used, it was found that there was a 21.6 percent drop in wheat output and a 13 percent fall in rice yield.
- Decrease in Grain Content: When nano urea and N were applied to the soil together, the grain N content of wheat and rice decreased by 11.5 and 17.5%, respectively. A reduced protein content was reflected in a drop in grain N content.
- Traditional Urea found more effective: The paper states that even if this nano formulation achieves 100% use efficiency, the developing crop would not be able to receive the necessary nitrogen fertiliser, as opposed to 45 kg of regular urea.
- Higher Cost: The formulation of nano urea was ten times more expensive than granular urea, which increased farmers’ cultivation expenses.
- Reduced Crop Mass and Root Volume: The Punjab Agricultural University field tests also showed that following the application of nano urea, there was a decrease in both above-ground (crop) biomass and root volume, which resulted in a reduction in the amount of root biomass added following crop harvest. The decreased root volume suggested a reduced root-surface area that may lead to a loss in the root’s ability to absorb nitrogen and other nutrients.
About Nano Urea
- It is an innovative agri-input that gives plants nitrogen and is based on nanotechnology.
- The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) is the one who invented and patented it.
- The only nano fertiliser listed in the Fertiliser Control Order (FCO) and authorised by the Indian government is IFFCO Nano Urea.
Features:
- Nano Urea has a more ideal particle size of 20–50 nm and higher surface area (10 times more than 1 mm urea prill) and number of particles (55,000 nitrogen particles over 1 mm urea prill) than traditional urea prill.
- It can reduce the need for traditional urea by at least 50%, which is why it was designed to replace it.
- Its 500 ml container carries 40,000 mg/L of nitrogen, which is the same amount of nitrogen nutrients as one bag of traditional urea.
Potential benefits
- It has a year’s shelf life, so farmers don’t have to worry about it “caking” in the presence of moisture.
- Pricing: It is available for Rs 250 for a half-litre bottle and currently doesn’t need a subsidy. In contrast, a 50-kg bag of generously subsidised urea costs a farmer approximately Rs 350.
- Efficiency: While liquid nano urea can have an efficiency of up to 85–90%, conventional urea only has an efficiency of roughly 25%.
- Absorption: The plant absorbs liquid nano urea when it is sprayed directly on the leaves.Nano fertilisers give crops a focused supply of nutrients since they are absorbed through stomata, which are pores on the leaf’s epidermis.
- Lower Subsidy expense: Its goal is to minimise the disproportionate and careless use of conventional urea by cutting down on the nation’s subsidy expense.
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO):
- It is the largest multi-state cooperative society of India which is completely owned by Indian cooperatives.
- Fertiliser manufacture and distribution are the main activities of IFFCO
Download Yojna daily current affairs eng med 6th Jan 2024
Prelims practice question
Question 1) What is the primary advantage of Nano Urea over traditional urea?
a) Higher nitrogen content
b) Slow-release properties
c) Improved water solubility
d) Reduced environmental impact
Answer:b) Slow-release properties
Question 2) Sustainable agriculture can benefit from the use of nano urea by:
a) Growing reliance on synthetic fertilisers
b) Using less water for irrigation
c) Promotion of monoculture
d) Quickening the deterioration of soil
Answer – b) Using less water for irrigation
Mains practice Question
Question 1) Examine how Nano Urea can help address the environmental issues related to the conventional application of urea in Indian agriculture.
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