Context:
Recently the Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers, has revealed that urea consumption in the current fiscal year is anticipated to decrease by 8 percent compared to FY 2022-23, attributed to the adoption of its liquid nano variant. This, coupled with increased domestic production, has resulted in a decline of over one-fifth in urea imports, a soil nutrient accounting for 70 percent of the fertiliser subsidy bill, in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Relevance:
GS3-
- Biotechnology
- Indigenization of Technology
- Agricultural Resources
Mains Question:
Discuss the benefits of nano-fertilisers vis-à-vis conventional fertilisers. What are the challenges regarding the technical feasibility and logistical implications of transition? (15 Marks, 250 Words).
About Nano Urea:
- Nano Urea represents a groundbreaking advancement in agricultural inputs, utilizing nanotechnology to deliver nitrogen to plants effectively.
- Developed and patented by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), IFFCO Nano Urea stands as the sole nano fertilizer sanctioned by the Government of India and incorporated into the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO).
- Compared to traditional urea prills, Nano Urea boasts a finely-tuned particle size ranging from 20 to 50 nm, offering significantly enhanced surface area (exceeding 10,000 times that of a 1 mm urea prill) and a greater number of particles (with 55,000 nitrogen particles surpassing those found in a 1 mm urea prill).It contains a total nitrogen content of 4.0% (w/v).
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO):
- As India’s largest multi-state cooperative society, IFFCO operates under complete ownership of Indian cooperatives.
- Primarily involved in the production and distribution of fertilizers, IFFCO plays a pivotal role in supporting agricultural practices nationwide.
- Headquartered in New Delhi, India, IFFCO serves as a cornerstone in the agricultural sector, championing innovation and sustainability in fertilizer production and distribution.
More on the Recent Developments:
- The further proliferation of nano urea consumption and the commencement of operations at a new large urea plant (Talcher in Odisha) by September 2023 are anticipated to eliminate imports within the next two to three years.
- The Minister’s remarks underscore the unprecedented possibilities presented by nano-fertilisers (in addition to nano-urea, the industry has also introduced nano-DAP, with other fertiliser types in nano form such as nano-potash, nano-zinc, nano-boron, etc., currently under development).
- These advancements promise not only a significant reduction in fertiliser subsidies but also aim to address the imbalance in fertiliser use, mitigate soil health degradation, and contribute to achieving environmental objectives.
- Furthermore, there are additional benefits in terms of savings in foreign exchange expenditure, a reduction in the current account deficit (CAD), and decreased strain on the logistics chain, particularly in transport and storage infrastructure.
About Nano Urea and Nano DAP:
- Nano-urea is characterized by urea particles at a nanoscale, ranging from 20 to 50 nanometres (nm) in size.
- Nano-urea delivers nitrogen (‘N’) to plants in liquid form, offering an alternative to traditional urea, predominantly supplied in prill form (small spherical white solids).
- Similarly, nano-DAP delivers both nitrogen (‘N’) and phosphate (‘P’) nutrients to plants in liquid form, providing an alternative to conventional DAP.
- The remarkable aspect of nano-fertiliser lies in its extremely small size and large surface area, which are approximately 10,000 times greater than that of a 1 mm urea prill.
- This characteristic facilitates easy absorption by plant leaves. These nanoparticles enter plants through cuticular pores or stomata and then penetrate cell membranes via endocytosis.
- Once inside the cell, they release nutrients gradually, ensuring complete absorption and minimizing waste, unlike conventional methods.
Benefits of Nano Urea:
Efficiency:
The Nano Biotechnology Research Centre (NBRC) of the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO), the innovator behind nano-fertilisers, claims that nano urea boasts an efficiency rate of over 80 percent in terms of nutrient absorption (‘N’) by plants, compared to around 40 percent for conventional urea. Moreover, nano urea has been shown to increase crop yields by 3-16 percent. Similarly, nano-DAP offers efficiency gains and yield increases.
Environmental Benefits:
- In addition to its efficacy, nano-urea usage also addresses environmental concerns associated with conventional urea, such as nitrate leaching, global warming, ozone layer depletion, and groundwater pollution.
- Research indicates that two foliar sprays of nano-urea reduced nitrogen load by 25 percent and decreased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 164.2 to 416.5 kg CO2-eq ha-1 across various crops.
Comparison with Conventional Urea:
Nano-form urea with just 20 grams can achieve what conventional urea does with 20 kg—a difference in efficiency of 1000 times.
Fiscal Benefits:
- The significant disparity in efficiency allows IFFCO to offer a 500-ml bottle of nano-urea to farmers for Rs 240 without relying on any subsidy support.
- In contrast, the cost of providing an equivalent amount of conventional urea in a 45 kg bag is over eleven times higher, standing at approximately Rs 2650.
- To ensure the conventional urea is available to farmers at the same price of Rs 240, the government must provide a subsidy of Rs 2410.
- Regarding DAP, IFFCO/NBRC contends that a 500-ml bottle of nano-DAP equals a 50-kg bag of conventional DAP.
Way Forward:
- According to the Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers, India is projected to produce approximately 55 million bottles of nano-urea during FY 2023-24, replacing 2.5 million tons of conventional urea.
- This replacement serves multiple purposes: it helps reduce excess urea consumption, thereby addressing the imbalance in fertilizer use and improving soil health. Additionally, it results in a significant reduction in subsidy expenditure.
- Considering the subsidy of Rs 2410 per 45 kg bag, the subsidy on the import of one ton of conventional urea amounts to Rs 53,550 (2410 multiplied by 22.22, the number of bags in a ton).
- With 2.5 million tons replaced by nano-urea, the total savings amount to approximately Rs 13,400 crore, as nano-urea does not require subsidy support. Similar savings in subsidy are anticipated with the replacement of conventional DAP by nano-DAP.
- In the meantime, the government aims to ramp up the production of nano-urea to approximately 440 million bottles by 2024-25. This quantity is equivalent to 20 million tonnes of conventional urea, constituting around 60 percent of its total current consumption in 2023-24.
- However, there are concerns about the feasibility of such a substantial substitution. Typically, urea is applied in two doses: basal application, which involves evenly spreading solid fertilizers across the entire field before or during sowing or planting, and top dressing, which entails applying fertilizer directly onto the leaves rather than into the soil. Nano-urea is designed to replace conventional urea only in top dressing, while basal application remains in solid form.
- Scientists recommend that around 50 percent of the application, or roughly 16.5 million tonnes, be sourced from nano-urea. Even at this level, urea imports (currently estimated at 6.4 million tonnes in 2023-24) would be eradicated.
- Moreover, for the remaining 10 million tonnes derived from nano-urea, the demand for natural gas (NG) – the raw material for urea production – would be significantly reduced.
Conclusion:
Among its many benefits, nano-urea would also lead to a significant reduction in the load on infrastructure. Consider the impact of handling, transporting, storing, and delivering a 500-ml bottle of nano-urea compared to a bag of conventional urea containing 45,000 grams of material. The same applies to transporting a 500-ml bottle of nano-DAP versus a bag of conventional DAP containing 50,000 grams of material.
