This efficient fertiliser can revolutionise agriculture, say scientists

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New Delhi: Scientists from Sri Lanka have developed a simple way to make an efficient fertiliser that could possibly revolutionise agriculture.

The nanoparticle-based "slow release" nitrogen fertiliser they have successfully tested in rice fields can simultaneously cut down the emission of greenhouse gas associated with agriculture, they report in the American Chemical Society journal ACS Nano.

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for crops. Urea is a rich source of nitrogen and so farmers currently use it to fertilise the soil.

But urea breaks down quickly in wet soil, resulting in the evolution of ammonia before it can be efficiently adsorbed by the plants.

This ammonia gets washed away, creating a major environmental issue as it leads to eutrophication (over-enrichment) of waterways. It eventually enters the atmosphere as nitrogen dioxide, the main greenhouse gas associated with agriculture that contributes to climate change.

The fast decomposition of urea also limits the amount of nitrogen that can get absorbed by crop roots and currently requires farmers to apply more fertiliser to boost production -- thus adding to the cost.

The researchers, says the report, wanted to find a way to slow the breakdown of urea and make one application of fertiliser last longer.

(With IANS inputs)