Amid a big scarcity of conventional Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertiliser in Punjab, the utilization of Nano DAP has greater than doubled this 12 months, highlighting its potential instead resolution for farmers.
In line with information, farmers in Punjab have used 3.25 lakh bottles of Nano DAP from April 2024 to until date largely in wheat season, in comparison with 1.5 lakh bottles in your entire monetary 12 months in 2023-24. Whereas Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) has been actively selling Nano DAP with the intention of exceeding a million bottles in annual utilization, adoption stays gradual as farmers proceed to depend on conventional fertiliser strategies.
Conventional farming practices contain utilizing one or one-and-a-half luggage of DAP, which is within the type of granular, per acre per crop. As compared, Nano DAP in liquid kind, require solely a 500 ml bottle per acre, providing vital price financial savings and environmental advantages.
DAP is kind of essential for wheat and this 12 months there was 30% scarcity of DAP to start with of wheat sowing the best time of which was from November 1 to fifteen. Nevertheless, sowing continues to be persevering with and a number of other farmers throughout the state couldn’t get the required quantity of DAP this 12 months.
Punjab requires practically 5.50 lakh tonne of DAP for the Rabi season from October to April, throughout which wheat, potatoes and varied different greens (grown in three cycles) are cultivated. Wheat alone wants round 4.35 lakh tonnes of DAP.
Harmail Singh Sidhu, IFFCO’s state advertising supervisor, highlighted the cost-effectiveness of Nano fertilisers. He mentioned that One bottle of 500 ML costing Rs 600 of Nano DAP, which is far decrease than the Rs 1,350 required for a 50 kg bag of typical DAP, is adequate for one acre. He mentioned that until date 3.25 lakh bottles of DAP have been consumed in Punjab in opposition to 1.5 lakh final 12 months however IFFCO goals to extend it’s utilization over a million bottles yearly.
He added that nano DAP can be used to deal with seeds previous to sowing (5 ml per kg of seeds) for higher outcomes.
“A 200 ml to 230 ml Nano DAP is required for seed remedy if farmers are placing 40 or 45 kg wheat seed per acre.
The remaining 50% needs to be used as a foliar spray after the crop’s leaves emerge,” he mentioned, including that by slicing down the usage of granular fertiliser by 50% the soil and the setting can be benefited.
Nano fertilisers are absorbed by crops with 90-95% effectivity, in comparison with the numerous nutrient lack of as much as 60% in conventional strategies the place fertilisers are sprinkled on soil. This excessive absorption charge not solely reduces environmental air pollution but additionally preserves soil well being, added Sidhu. Specialists mentioned that Nano fertilisers are indigenous and cost-effective, requiring no subsidies, not like imported DAP, which place a heavy monetary burden on the nation. The utilization aligns with India’s targets of decreasing dependency on imports and selling sustainable farming practices.
Farmers like Gurpreet Singh from Bhagthala Kalan village in Faridkot district who had witnessed the advantages firsthand for his maize crop earlier this 12 months, mentioned that this time due to the non-availability of the standard DAP he had used nano DAP for sowing wheat crop and hoping to get the great outcomes.
Nevertheless, constructing confidence amongst farmers stays a problem. Conventional fertilisers are deeply entrenched in farming practices, and Nano DAP, regardless of its benefits, continues to be seen with skepticism.
IFFCO has been doing a number of trials to spice up the boldness amongst farmers concerning its utilization and there are a number of farmers who’ve used it beneath IFFCO’ advice are ready for the outcomes.
With rising consciousness of its cost-efficiency, environmental advantages, and compatibility with drone know-how, Nano DAP utilization is predicted to develop in Punjab. Whereas the present surge is partly pushed by the scarcity of conventional DAP, consultants imagine its long-term adoption will rely on continued farmer training and demonstration of its effectiveness.
