Few takers for liquid nano-DAP

An acute shortage of DAP fertiliser prevails in Haryana even as farmers have started sowing wheat in different parts of the state.

Farmers are being forced to stand in long queues to get DAP fertiliser, which is required at the time of sowing of wheat. Farmers’ organisations lament that in some districts, DAP is being sold at police stations. However, a majority of farmers are still reluctant to use liquid nano-DAP, which is being promoted by the government as well as agriculture scientists.

As per farm experts, the evident results owing to high concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus in the regular DAP fertiliser which comes in the form of granules is the major reason behind farmers according the top priority to it. They also maintain that the liquid nano-DAP is not cost-effective as they have to employ additional labour to spray it in the fields.

“The regular DAP fertiliser, which is in the form of granules, is easily sprinkled over the fields by the traditional broadcast application technique. On the other hand, the liquid nano-DAP has to be sprayed in specific quantities. The farm labour usually lacks the know-how to use nano-DAP. The spray of nano-fertilisers also involves additional labour expenses, making it less cost-effective,” says Naresh, a farmer of Bohar village in Rohtak. Farm experts advise farmers to use NPK fertiliser instead of DAP as it also contains potassium in addition to nitrogen and phosphorus contained in DAP.

“NPK fertiliser is more beneficial as compared to DAP fertilizer and it can be safely used by the farmers,” maintains Rakesh Kumar, Quality Control Inspector at the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in Rohtak. Meanwhile, the administration of liquid nano-urea over agricultural fields through drones, which was done last year by the government mainly on its own expenses, has not been done this year.