News report on fast tracking approvals for Nano Urea with incomplete trials is misleading: Govt

05 September 2022, New Delhi: A leading national daily has carried a misleading news report today alleging that “Nano Urea has been fast tracked for approval despite incomplete trials”. The news report is erroneous, mis-informed and presents partial view of the existing facts and data available on the subject.

It has been wrongly quoted in the news report that the process has been “fast tracked”. It is clarified that the established and existing procedure for registration of any fertilizer for notification as per Fertiliser Control Order (FCO), 1985 has been fully accounted for. 

Nano Urea has been notified provisionally under FCO based on existing procedure for introduction of fertilizers under FCO, 1985 which requires data from only two seasons. Nano Urea has been provisionally notified under FCO based on encouraging results and feedback received from scientists of ICAR and State Agricultural Universities. Central Fertilizer Committee (CFC), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA & FW) has also recommended it based on data and due deliberations in this regard. 

In addition, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has also been referred to for safety & biosafety issues. It is only after satisfaction with regard to efficacy, biosafety and biotoxicity that Nano Urea has been brought under FCO as a separate category of nano fertilizer.

Furthermore, the data is not limited to two seasons as have wrongly been communicated through the news report, as research and farmer field trials have been continued for last more than four seasons.

Table 1. Nano Urea Trial, Season wise / Crop wise – Experimental trials undertaken

Experiments	Season	Crops & Trials (Nos.)
“On Station” Trials	Rabi 2019-20(24 Nos.)	Cereals:  Wheat (11);Oilseeds:  Mustard (1);Vegetables: Onion (2); Capsicum (1), Cabbage (1), Tomato (3); Parthenocarpic Cucumber under polyhouse (1)Sugar Crops: Suru Sugarcane (1)
“On Station” Trials	Summer 2019-20(3 Nos.)	Cereals: Paddy (1); Maize (2)
“On Station” Trials	Kharif 2020(16 Nos.)	Cereals: Paddy (6); Maize (5); Pear millet (3)Fibres: Cotton (1)Vegetables: Okra (1)
“On Station” Trials	Rabi 2020-21(8 Nos.)	Cereals:  Wheat (6);Oilseeds:  Mustard (1);Vegetables: Onion (1)
“On Station” Trials	Summer 2020-21(2 Nos.)	Cereals: Paddy (1); Maize (1)
“On Station” Trials	Kharif 2021(21 Nos.)	See Table 2.
“On Station” Trials	Rabi 2021-22(19 Nos.)	Wheat (8); Rapeseed/ Mustard (3); Onion (1); Groundnut (1); Sunflower (1); Ginger (1), Turmeric (1), Sugarcane (1), Paddy(1), Maize (1)
“On Station” Trials	Kharif- 2022(7 Nos.)	Paddy (3); Apple (1), Bajra (1); Fingermillet (2)
“On Station” Trials	Rabi -2022-23(6 Nos.)	Continued
“On Farm” Trials	Rabi 2019-20	93 crops; 11224 trials (9037 recorded)
“On Farm” Trials	Kharif 2020	44 crops; 1511trials (1435 recorded)
“On Farm” Trials	Rabi 2020-21	34 crops; 1126 trials

For evaluation of Nano Urea, premium ICAR research institutes and state agricultural universities have been at the vanguard of nano urea trials.  Different aspects associated with crop productivity; reduction in fertilisers dosage, farmers profitability have been addressed through these trials. A list of some key research institutes / SAUs engaged in nano urea trials are as under (Table 2).

Research institutes / SAUs engaged in nano urea trials are as under (Table 2)

S. No.	Crops	Location	Season/ Year Onwards
1	Maize	ICAR-  CRIDA, Hyderabad, Telengana	Kharif 2021
2	Fingermillet	AICRPDA Centre, Bengaluru	Kharif 2021
3	Upland Rice	AICRPDA Centre, Jagdalpura, Chattisgarh	Rabi  2021-22
4	Irrigated Rice	IRRI-ISARC,Varanasi	Kharif 2021
5	Rainfed Rice	IRRI-ISARC,Varanasi	Kharif 2021
6	Rainfed Rice	IRRI-ISARC, Assam	Kharif 2021
7	Wheat	CSSRI Karnal, Haryana	Rabi 2020-21
8	Paddy	CSSRI Karnal, Haryana	Kharif 2021
9	Wheat	AAU, Anand, Gujarat	Rabi 2019-20
10	Maize	AAU, Anand, Gujarat	Kharif 2021
11	Wheat	ANDUAT, Ayodhya, UP	Rabi 2019-20
12	Wheat	MPUAT, Udaipur, Rajasthan	Rabi 2019-20
13	Wheat	SKNAU, Jobner, Rajasthan	Rabi 2019-20
14	Wheat	IARI, New Delhi	Rabi 2019-20
15	Mustard	IARI, New Delhi	Rabi 2019-20
16	Pearlmillet	IARI, New Delhi	Kharif 2019-20
17	Wheat	BAU, Ranchi	Rabi 2019-20
18	Paddy	UAHS, Shivamoga, Karnataka	Rabi 2019-20
19	Paddy	TNAU ( Bhavanisagar Stn.) Drone Expt	Kharif 2021
20	Maize	UAS GKVK, Karnataka	Summer 2019-20
21	Maize	PJTSAU, Telengana	Summer 2019-20
22	Onion	MPKVV, Rahuri, Maharashtra	Rabi 2019-20
23	Cabbage	IIHR, Bengaluru, Karnataka	Rabi 2019-20
24	Cucumber	IIHR, Bengaluru, Karnataka	Rabi 2019-20

Summary of results of application of nano urea – liquid (Nano N) across different locations and agro-climatic regions has revealed that foliar application of nano urea at critical growth stages of crops like Rice, Wheat, Maize, tomato, cucumber and capsicum etc., lead to reduction in application of nitrogenous fertilisers and also increase yield in range of 3-23 % in wheat; 5- 11 % in tomato; 3-24 % in paddy / rice; 2-15 % in maize, 5 % in cucumber and 18 % in capsicum.

Science and scientific endeavours are a continuous process and significant efforts go in the process from concept to translation stage. Nano fertilizers are novel in the way that they provide immense opportunity in terms of addressing the challenges being faced by intensive agriculture practices currently underway which are ultimately harming the soil, air and water in the long run. It is therefore prudent that nano fertilizers like nano urea are holistically viewed in perspective of declining nutrient use efficiency (NUE) of chemical fertilizers and alternative solutions that need to be made available to farmers.

Also Read: 2022 Norman Borlaug Award to Indian Scientist Dr. Mahalingam

(For Latest Agriculture News & Updates, follow Krishak Jagat on Google News)