India’s fertilizer cooperative Iffco is hopeful of a positive outcome of its research to produce another nano-liquid urea that will be capable of taking care of basal spray as the current product is only suitable for foliar spray. Once that nano-urea comes out, there will be no need for conventional granular urea, said Iffco’s managing director US Awasthi.
“Such a product is going to disturb the global granular urea production, estimated at 183.82 million tonnes (mt) in 2022, as every country will try to adopt the alternative if that does not alter the yield of crops,” said AK Singh, an expert on soil science.
Speaking to media on Monday, Awasthi said: “Iffco has so far exported 54,000 bottles (of 500 ml each) of nano-urea since its launch in August 2021 and it is awaiting approval in some countries for its nano-DAP to export.” Brazil, the US and Zambia are some of the top destinations where nano-urea has been exported, he said.
Commenting on the acceptability of nano-urea, the Iffco MD said it will take some more time as adoption is slow in India. “Iffco has capacity to produce 17 crore bottles of nano-urea annually whereas it sold only about 3 crore bottles in 2023-24. It may take another 3 years to use 70 per cent of the production capacity,” he said.
‘No tech transfer’
Further, he said that going forward, Iffco will not transfer nano technology to any company. So far, Iffco has transferred the technology to public sector fertilizer companies RCF and NFL free of cost and to a private company in Gujarat on royalty basis, he said.
Iffco has spent about Rs 2,000 crore on research to develop nano liquid urea and has been selling one bottle at ₹225 (of 500 ml) since 2021. There is no government subsidy involved in nano-urea.
Awasthi also revealed that IFFCO will launch two new products – nano-zinc and nano-copper (in 100 ml bottle) – in the ensuing Rabi sowing season, starting October. The government has already approved the products for commercial release, he said.
Scientists’ view
Though the government claimed that one nano-urea bottle of 500 ml is equivalent to one 45-kg bag of granular urea, scientists do not prescribe complete shift to nano-urea from granular bag. Agriculture scientists recommend using three bags and one bottle in place of 4 bags, to cut conventional urea usage by 25 per cent.
Awasthi said Iffco also does not ask farmers to completely replace granular urea bags, rather favoured a mixed use of 50:50. “If a farmer used to apply 4 bags of granular urea in the field, he can use 2 bags and 2 bottles that will also result in both yield increase and saving the soil,” Awasthi said.