Neem Coated Urea

 

With 46% N content, Urea is the most popular Nitrogenous fertilizer around the world. When Urea is applied to soil, it is first hydrolysed (i.e. broen by water! into "mmonical form ("mmonium #on i.e. N$4! and then to nitrite (N&'!, followed by to nitrate (N&)! forms by the process called nitrification. $ere, we note that most crops use nitrate as source of nitrogen (" few crops such as *addy prefer "mmonical form o+er nitrate.!. hus nitrification process is necessary for maing nitrogen a+ailable to plants. $owe+er, if the process of nitrification is too rapid- nitrogen will escape to atmosphere and plants will not be able to reco+er it from Urea efficiently. enerally, the plants are able to reco+er a fraction of all Urea N and this fraction is nown as Nitrogen Use /fficiency (NU/!. his NU/ stands anywhere between )0 to 10%. hus, two third of Urea Nitrogen escapes from the soil and is not used by the plants. 2urther, faster con+ersion of nitrate into Urea also results in accumulation of nitrates in soil 3 underground water. &nce nitrate reaches underground water, it is most difficult to remo+e- and causes diseases such as blue baby syndrome. his implies that there is a need to regulate the urea hydrolysis and nitrification. his is done by some chemical 3 natural agents which are called Nitrification inhibitors. $owe+er, most of the nitrification inhibitors are costly chemicals (eamples nitrapyrin, dicyandiamide and ammonium thiosulphate ! beyond reach of #ndian farmers. 5oating Urea with Neem oil or Neem cae has been pro+ed to be an effecti+e natural alternati+e to these chemicals. #t has been scientifically established that Neem oil ser+es as an effecti+e inhibitor if coated on Urea. hus, the benefits are as follows Neem coating leads to more gradual release of urea, helping plants gain more nutrient and resulting in higher yields. 7ower underground water contamination due to leaching of urea. Neem ser+es as a natural insecticide 5ollection of neem seeds is needed for manufacturing of neem coated urea. his would generate employments in rural areas. Neemcoating Neemcoa ting will help help chec hea+ily hea+ily subsidized subsidized urea�s pilferage t to o chemical industry and other uses such as maing of adulterated mil. o+ernment *olicy on Neem 5oated Urea #n 8anuary '091, the go+ernment allowed the urea producers to produce up to 900% of production as Neem coated urea. 2urther, the go+ernment made it mandatory to produce at least :1% of domestic Urea as Neem coated. he current policy is that o+ernment has mandated all indigenous producers of Urea to produce 900% of urea as Neem coated urea only