Government Study Reveals Nano Urea Fails to Deliver Promised Yield Improvements
In a significant development for Indian agriculture, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Ramnath Thakur acknowledged in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Friday that a comprehensive experiment conducted by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, on Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) nano urea from 2020 to 2024 did not support claims of enhanced yields or improved nitrogen-use efficiency. This finding, based on rigorous on-farm trials at 17 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and 10 farmers' fields, casts doubt on the efficacy of this modern fertilizer alternative.
Contradictory Research Findings Emerge
The minister's admission highlights a stark contrast with earlier studies. While the Punjab Agricultural University research showed no benefit, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and various State Agriculture Universities (SAUs) had previously reported positive outcomes from bio-efficacy trials. Based on these earlier results, the Union government provisionally notified nano urea as a nano nitrogen fertilizer under the Fertiliser Control Order (FCO), 1985.
ICAR's earlier trials indicated that two sprays of nano urea as top-dressing, combined with a recommended basal dose of nitrogen, produced comparable yields to full conventional nitrogen doses. These experiments, conducted on crops like paddy, wheat, mustard, maize, tomato, cabbage, cucumber, capsicum, and onion across diverse agro-climatic zones, suggested a yield advantage of 3-8% and urea savings of 25-50%.
New Network Project Launched to Resolve Discrepancies
In response to the conflicting data, all nano fertilizer manufacturers have been instructed to conduct bio-efficacy trials under the supervision of SAUs or ICAR. Furthermore, ICAR initiated a network project in November 2025 titled 'Evaluation of Nano urea on crop productivity and nitrogen use efficiency in diverse Agro-Ecological Zones of India'.
This ambitious project involves:
- 14 research centers across 10 major Agro Ecological Zones (AEZs)
- Testing on 12 major crops
- Focus on long-term impacts on crop yield, produce quality, and soil nutrient balance
- Investigation into the working mechanism of nutrients from nano fertilizers in plant metabolism
Farmer Complaints and Parliamentary Questions
The issue gained parliamentary attention when Rajya Sabha member Yerram Venkata Subba Reddy raised several critical questions. He inquired about:
- The details of urea and nano urea usage since nano urea's introduction
- The government's stance on recent Punjab University research concluding nano urea was inferior to conventional urea, citing reduced production and lower protein content
- Whether DAP, zinc, and nano urea+ introduced by the government also failed to match conventional urea's performance
Farmers have reportedly complained that results from nano urea and nano DAP were significantly lower than with conventional products, leading to concerns about the tagging of these nano fertilizers with traditional fertilizers or seeds.
Sales Data and Additional Nano Fertilizer Approvals
Despite the controversy, sales data reveals substantial market penetration. During the last five years, urea sales in India ranged between 340-390 lakh metric tonnes, with 361.03 LMT sold in 2025-26 (until February 8, 2026). In Punjab alone, 29.08 LMT of urea was sold during this period.
Nano urea sales were also notable, with 186.511 lakh bottles (500 ml) sold nationally in 2025-26 (until February 8, 2026), including 13.729 lakh bottles in Punjab. The government, based on positive trial results from SAUs and ICAR institutes, has also notified nano DAP and nano zinc under the FCO.
Studies by ICAR institutes, including the Central Potato Research Institute at Modipuram and Jalandhar, confirmed that 50% replacement of phosphorus with two sprays of Nano DAP at 4 ml/litre and tuber treatment at 5 ml/litre resulted in comparable potato yields.
The ongoing debate underscores the complexity of adopting new agricultural technologies and the need for consistent, verifiable research to guide policy and farmer decisions in India's crucial agricultural sector.
