Nano urea not linked to yield improvement or nitrogen-use efficiency: Minister

Bathinda: An experiment conducted by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, on Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) nano urea between 2020 and 2024 — along with on-farm trials at 17 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and 10 farmers' fields — did not support claims of improved yields or enhanced nitrogen-use efficiency, Union minister of state for agriculture Ramnath Thakur conceded in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.All nano fertiliser manufacturers have been informed to conduct bio-efficacy trials under the supervision of State Agriculture Universities (SAUs)/Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in different agro-climatic zones. The ICAR initiated a network project entitled ‘Evaluation of Nano urea on crop productivity and nitrogen use efficiency in diverse Agro-Ecological Zones of India' in Nov 2025 in 14 centres, 10 major Agro Ecological Zones (AEZs), for 12 major crops on important parameters such as the impact of long-term application of nano urea on crop yield, produce quality and soil nutrient balance, as well as the working mechanism of nutrients from nano fertiliser in plant metabolism.
However, based on the bio-efficacy trials at multiple locations by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutions and state agriculture universities (SAUs), and bio-safety test results, the Union govt provisionally notified nano urea as nano nitrogen fertilisers in the Fertiliser Control Order (FCO), 1985. These experimental trials of nano urea were conducted on different crops such as paddy, wheat, mustard, maize, tomato, cabbage, cucumber, capsicum, and onion in different agro-climatic zones.The study indicated that two sprays of nano urea as top-dressing, along with the recommended basal dose of nitrogen, gave comparable yield to that obtained with the full recommended dose of nitrogen, with a yield advantage of 3-8% and urea saving of 25-50% in various crops. Similarly, the govt, on the basis of positive results of crop trials conducted in SAUs/ICAR institutes, notified nano DAP and nano zinc under FCO. Studies conducted by ICAR institutes, the Central Potato Research Institute of ICAR at Modipuram and Jalandhar, confirmed 50% replacement of phosphorus by 2 sprays @ 4 ml/litre of Nano DAP and tuber treatment @ 5 ml/litre resulted in at-par yield of potato, stated the reply.The farmers were complaining that the results of nano urea and nano DAP were much lower than conventional urea and DAP, and they were raising their voice over tagging of nano urea or nano DAP with fertilisers or seeds.Rajya Sabha member Yerram Venkata Subba Reddy asked the details of use of urea and nano urea in the country since the introduction of nano urea; the manner in which the govt looked at the recent research conducted by Punjab University where it concluded nano urea was no match to conventional urea since use of Nano Urea resulted in reduced production and protein content came down; and whether it was a fact that DAP, zinc, and nano urea+ introduced by the govt were also no match to conventional urea.During the last five years, urea sales in the country hovered between 340-390 lakh metric tonne, as 361.03 LMT urea was sold in 2025-26 (till February 8, 2026). The 29.08 LMT urea was sold till February 8, 2026 in Punjab. The 186.511 lakh bottles (500 ml) of Nano urea were sold in 2025-26 in the country (till February 8, 2026). The 13.729 lakh bottles of Nano urea were sold in 2025-26 (till February 8, 2026) in Punjab. MSID:: 128308491 413 |