Page 176 - CW E-Magazine (16-1-2024)

Special Report Special Report

Innovations in fertiliser and agriculture sectors has some effect in improving use effi - tion from 3.61-tonnes CO tonne/tonne logies available, which benefi ciate low
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ciency. Introduction of nano-fertilisers ammonia to 1.96-tonne CO per tonne grade rock phosphate. These innova-
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products would further help to reduce ammonia, which is about 46% reduc- tive technologies may be explored for
ndian fertiliser industry has come develop indigenous products to supply ARVIND CHAUDHARY use of high analysis conventional ferti- tion over a period of 36 years. higher production.
a long way from single nutrient vital nutrients. More exploration efforts lisers. Use of alternate fertilisers like
Iproducts to multi-nutrient products. are needed for identifying mineral Director General bio-fertilisers, organic fertilisers, bio- Green hydrogen and ammonia Of late, the Government of India
Fertiliser Association of India
The initial developments of products resources. Email: dg@faidelhi.org mass, etc. will also help to improve soil Government of India has promul- is promoting the use of indigenously
mainly included ammonium sulphate, conditions and supplement the use of gated the ‘Green Hydrogen Mission’ produced SSP fertilisers. These bene-
urea, single super phosphate and di- Agricultural production Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS), has conventional fertilisers. which envisages use of green hydrogen fi ciated rock phosphates can be used
ammonium phosphate. Then to cater to India is positioned as an agrarian again distorted and skewed towards and green ammonia. Fertiliser industry entirely by the SSP industry.
crop requirements, other grades of NP/ economy. Agriculture and allied acti- nitrogen. The NPK use ratio has dis- Government has now taken steps will be the potential user of green
NPK products were developed, includ- vities signifi cantly contribute to the torted from 4.7:2.3:1 during 2010-11 to to promote sulphur-coated urea. The ammonia. In order to create bulk Potash is another important mineral
ing fortifi cation with secondary and country’s overall growth and develop- 11.8:4.6:1 during 2022-23. The share of use effi ciency of nitrogen through sul- demand and scale up production of for which country is almost entirely de-
micronutrients, followed by customized ment by ensuring food security to the urea in nitrogen is 81%, although nutri- phur-coated urea is higher than that of green hydrogen, the Government of pendent on imports. There has been R&D
fertilisers. country. Indian agriculture sector has ent-use effi ciency of nitrogen through conventional urea. Besides, it will also India will specify a minimum share efforts to recover potash from the sea bit-
been growing at an average annual urea has been reported to be about 35% provide sulphur, which is considered a of consumption of green hydrogen or tern and molasses. Potash derived from
The use of large scale fertilisers growth rate of 4.6% during the last in water-logged rice and nearly 50% secondary nutrient and about 41% of its derivative products such as green molasses has also been brought under the
to support high yielding varieties of six years. As per the Indian Economic in upland crops. The primary reason the Indian soils are defi cient in it. ammonia, green methanol, etc. NBS scheme. Some potash derived from
crops led to the Green Revolution. This Survey 2022-23, 47% of the popula- for high consumption of urea is that it molasses (PDM) is now available from
helped India to become self-reliant in tion is dependent on agriculture for its is the cheapest nitrogen available. The Delivery of fertilisers The mission document also men- the sugar industry. Though these cannot
food grain production. livelihood. During 2022-23, agriculture price ratio of urea and DAP is about Last mile delivery of fertilisers at tioned that by 2034-35, it is targeted substitute the entire quantity imported, it
and allied sectors contributed 18.4% 1:5, which incentivises farmers to use affordable prices have been focus of to substitute all ammonia-based ferti- can be a step towards self-reliance in this
India has now achieved second to the country’s GDP. more urea at the cost of DAP and other the government. One of the key objec- liser imports with domestic green important mineral.
position in production of nitrogenous NP/NPK fertilisers. Therefore, there is tives of ‘One Nation One Fertilisers’ is ammonia-based fertilisers. There may not
and phosphatic fertilisers in the world. The average yield of food grain a need to revisit the policy to correct to avoid criss-cross movement of N and be infrastructure or technical barrier in Encouraging innovation
However, due to large requirement of production increased from 2,078-kg/ha the NPK use ratio. P fertilisers. Use of innovative products replacement of grey with green ammonia It has now been more than 100 years
nutrients, we are also the second lar- in 2011-12 to 2,494-kg/ha in 2022-23. like water-soluble fertilisers and nano- in complex fertiliser plants. The green of application of fertilisers in the coun-
gest consumer of fertilisers. India does However, application of fertiliser nu- Improving nutrient use effi ciency fertilisers through manual application hydrogen and green ammonia projects try. It is because of fertilisers that we
not have many natural resources like trients reduced from 142.12-kg/ha to Fertiliser has played and will conti- would not be cost effective. Therefore, are highly capital intensive and there is are able to sustain the world’s largest
natural gas, rock phosphate and potash 138.10-kg/ha during the same period. nue to play a vital role in enhancing farm mechanisation and use of techno- substantial gap between cost of green population. Affordability of fertilisers
required for production of fertilisers. agricultural production in the country. logy such as drones will play vital and grey ammonia. There is a need and extensive use have raised a few
We are dependent on import of raw Skewed nutrient use Balanced fertilisation that leads to role in making farming easy and cost to provide viability gap funding and issues related to nutrient-use effi ciency,
materials, as well as fi nished products. The NPK use ratio, which corrected balanced crop nutrition is linked to effi cient. incentive for use of green ammonia. crop response, balance fertilisation, soil
Therefore, R&D efforts are required to a bit during 2010 after introduction of concepts of fertiliser use effi ciency and health and impact on environment.
effi cient nutrient management. The Effi cient fertiliser plants Raw materials for P&K fertilisers
need is to use fertilisers on soil test Indian fertiliser plants are operat- In case of P&K sector, India is de- There is a need for development
based fertiliser recommendations, ing at very high effi ciency level pendent on imported raw materials and of an ecosystem, which encourages
along with organic sources and bio- despite being very old. There have been fi nished products. Prospecting in indi- research and development (R&D) and
fertilisers. The practice will enable to continuous investments in these plants genous sources of rock phosphate has commercialisation of results of R&D.
increase nutrient-use effi ciency, reduce to improve reliability. Plants have car- not yielded substantial result. Most of Government of India has already taken
losses to the environment, boost farm ried out various in-house measures to the reserves are low grade rock, which several initiatives to encourage produc-
productivity, raise farmers’ income and improve their reliability and safety. require benefi ciation for utilisation in tion and use of alternative fertilisers,
sustain soil health. It will also help in As a result of the efforts, the energy phosphatic industry. Rajasthan contri- which needs to be commended. The
improving physical and biological consumption of all urea plants have buted about 93% and Madhya Pradesh policy reforms in the fertiliser sector
properties of soils, which should be reduced from 8.87-Gcal/tonne in 1987- 7% to the total rock phosphate pro- can accelerate innovations, which can
promoted for sustainable agriculture. 88 to 5.71-Gcal/tonne urea in 2022-23. duction. Some other States with rock change the paradigm in terms of new
Energy consumption from ammonia phosphates reserves are Jharkhand, products, higher use effi ciency, better
There have been efforts to improve plants has reduced from 12.48-Gcal/ Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Such crop yields and farmers’ income.
the nutrient use effi ciency of fertili- tonne in 1987-88 to 8.08-Gcal/tonne reserves need to be developed.
sers, more importantly nitrogen. Intro- ammonia during the same period. There [Indian Journal of Fertilisers, 19(12),
duction of 100% neem-coated of urea is an equivalent carbon dioxide reduc- There are chemical-based techno- 1210-1211, December 2023]

176 Chemical Weekly January 16, 2024 Chemical Weekly January 16, 2024 177

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