In Interim Budget 2024, Sitharaman says use of Nano DAP to be expanded: What is this made-in-India fertiliser?

What is Nano DAP — and why does the government want to expand its use? We explain.

DAP vs Nano DAP

DAP, or di-ammonium phosphate, is the second most commonly used fertiliser in India after urea. It is high in phosphorus (P) that stimulates root establishment and development — without which plants cannot grow to their normal size, or will take too long to mature. It is thus applied just before, or at the time of sowing.

Home Minister Amit Shah, last April, launched Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative’s (IFFCO’s) Nano DAP, containing 8% Nitrogen and 16% Phosphorus by volume. Unlike conventional DAP, which comes in granular form, IFFCO’s Nano DAP is in liquid form.

IFFCO’s website says that this formulation “has [an] advantage in terms of surface area to volume, as its particle size is less than 100 Nanometre (nm).”

This tiny particle size makes Nano DAP more efficient than its conventional counterpart, enabling the fertiliser “to enter easily inside the seed surface or through stomata and other plant openings”. Better assimilation of the fertiliser inside the plant system in turn leads to “higher seed vigour, more chlorophyll, photosynthetic efficiency, better quality and increase in crop yields.”

Why Nano DAP

In addition to being more efficient than conventional DAP, Nano DAP has a few other benefits.

First, it is more pocket-friendly than its conventional counterpart. A 500 ml bottle of Nano DAP, equivalent to a 50-kg bag of conventional DAP, is priced at only Rs 600 (compared to Rs 1,350 for the bag). Since the government provides significant subsidies on DAP, the adoption of a more inexpensive fertiliser will likely be a significant relief to the government’s subsidy burden.

Second, for farmers, Nano DAP is also significantly more convenient. Simply put, 500 ml bottles are easier to transport, store, and use than 50kg bags. The fertiliser is sprayed on crops, with a 250-500 ml of DAP, dissolved in water, required per spray, per acre.

Most importantly, however, India currently imports significant quantities of fertiliser to meet domestic demand. The adoption of domestically-produced Nano DAP — produced in Kalol, Gujarat — is set to significantly reduce this import burden.

“This revolutionary step will not only take Indian agriculture forward in foodgrain production but it will also make India self-reliant in fertiliser production,” Home Minister Shah said last year, while launching the product. This message was reinforced after FM Sitharaman’s announcement earlier today.

“This [adoption of Nano DAP] will help in achieving self-sufficiency in fertilisers and greatly benefit our farmers,” Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Chemical and Fertilisers, posted on X.