Farmers advised to consider alternative fertiliser to DAP

Amid acute shortage of DAP, scientists at PAU’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Patiala have advised farmers to consider alternative fertilisers for wheat cultivation.

Gurpreet Singh Sidhu, assistant professor (agronomy) at KVK Patiala, explained that DAP was primarily used in wheat farming to supply phosphorus, containing 46% phosphorus and 18% nitrogen.

He said one suggested alternative was NPK (12:32:16), which contains 32% phosphorus, 12% nitrogen and 16% potassium. Farmers can substitute 1.5 bags of NPK (12:32:16) for one bag of DAP. Additionally, Sidhu suggested that three bags of single superphosphate or one bag of triple superphosphate could also replace one bag of DAP.

Hardeep Singh Sabhikhi, Deputy Director (Training) at KVK, Patiala, emphasised that fertiliser application should be based on soil testing results to ensure that nutrient needs were accurately met.