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Nano-nitrogen fertiliser: Farmers sceptical due to lack of awareness

13 Nov 2021

  • Farmers concerned about safety, use, and effectiveness 
  • Claim Govt. has not issued safety protocols and guidelines for use
  • Agri Ministry downplays concerns about farmer safety; says SL developing guidelines
   By Uwin Lugoda A lack of awareness and instructions regarding the hurriedly introduced liquid nano-nitrogen fertiliser has caused confusion and scepticism among farmers, who are struggling to begin cultivation for the Maha season. Such scepticism is growing amongst farmers who claim that the Government had not given instructions on how this new fertiliser should be used, leading to concerns about safety and quality. “The farmers have not been given an understanding on how the nano-nitrogen fertiliser works. Because of this, our farmers are uneasy about using it,” said All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation (ACFF) President Namal Karunaratne. Fear of uninformed dangers Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Karunaratne stated that the main issue, when it came to this new fertiliser, had to do with safety. He explained that the fertiliser consists of extremely small nanoparticles that get absorbed through the cells of the leaf. Therefore, he questioned whether these tiny particles would be absorbed into the farmers’ bloodstreams when the fertiliser vapour came into contact with their skin, eyes, or ears.  “We saw on TV that a farmer was spraying this fertiliser while only wearing a facemask. If this is indeed nano-nitrogen like the Government says it is, and it is up to industry standards, then it can be potentially dangerous to the farmers. But they have not informed the farmer about this danger.” Karunaratne claimed that farmers handling the fertiliser should be equipped with the same personal protective equipment (PPE) as the doctors who treat Covid-19 patients. However, he stated that the farmers only learned about this when the ACFF informed them, leading them to be more cautious.  Plummeting standards He stated that the second reason for the farmers to be sceptical about the new fertiliser is due to its quality. He explained that a kg of nano-nitrogen contained 4% nitrogen and 96% water, while the previously used urea fertiliser contained 46.6% nitrogen per kg. He also added that the nano-nitrogen fertiliser should be given to the plant in two intervals – once after two weeks, and then again after 28 days. He pointed out that because of this, 90% of the fertiliser given to the plant after two weeks would be wasted, as the fertiliser has to be absorbed by the leaves and plants only have two or three leaves in that first stage.  “Our crops need nitrogen to grow fast, so we need to spray them during these intervals. But, since this (nano-nitrogen fertiliser) is absorbed by the leaves, if we spray this already diluted solution at the two-week mark, most of it will fall on the ground, where it does not get absorbed. Therefore, a big portion of fertiliser ends up wasted.” According to Karunaratne, the Government has not given the farmers any instructions on how to use the nano-nitrogen fertiliser and has not cautioned them on its use either. “We know that they are giving us water from India because our scientists have said so. Maybe that is why they are not introducing any safety regulations because it is not up to standard,” Karunaratne speculated, adding: “And if it is an industry-standard fertiliser, the Government needs to warn the farmers about its use. These tiny particles can easily get into the farmers’ bloodstreams and cause harm. Either way, the farmer ends up disadvantaged.” Process at a standstill  Furthermore, Karunaratne stated that the farmers had not received the primary fertilisers to begin crop development. He stated that the crops first need to receive phosphorus through fertiliser such as TSP (triple super phosphate), only after which nitrogen needs to be given, and finally potassium. However, the initial fertiliser – phosphorus – was yet to be given to the farmers, with only the other two being provided so far.  The Government initially ordered 3.1 million litres of third-generation nano-nitrogen liquid fertiliser from the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative Ltd. (IFFCO) following the rejection of the Chinese organic fertiliser. The first shipment of nano-nitrogen fertiliser arrived in the country on 20 October and consisted of 100,000 litres.  Much needed clarity Addressing these issues, Ministry of Agriculture Secretary Prof. Udith Jayasinghe stated that as a technology, nanotech is globally treated as a specialty. He added that third-generation nano-nitrogen fertiliser needed to be applied differently compared to the urea fertiliser that the farmers were used to. He stated that this fertiliser is organically embedded with nitrogen, and is absorbed by the leaves of the crop. He explained that while this kind of organic fertiliser is new to Sri Lanka, it is being used globally, including in countries like India.  When asked about the farmers’ concern about safety, Prof. Jayasinghe stated that the nanotech fertiliser is not dangerous, especially when compared to the urea fertiliser previously used by the farmers which caused a lot of harm. However, he stated that the Government will be giving safety guidelines to farmers on its use. “Everything we use now uses nanotech, even toothpaste, so why are we not suspicious about that? And no one complained about the use of urea, despite it posing a higher danger to the wellbeing of the entire population,” said Prof. Jayasinghe. As for the quality of the new fertiliser, he opined that nano-nitrogen alone would not be enough to generate the same growth rate as urea if used in the current intervals of two weeks and 28 days. He suggested that there might be a need for an additional organic fertiliser to be added to the soil, so that both the leaves and roots absorb nitrogen for the crop, speeding up its growth.  Prof. Jayasinghe admitted that the standards for this new fertiliser were yet to be established in Sri Lanka. However, he explained that other countries had used these fertilisers, adhering to certain guidelines and safety precautions. He stated that similar to those countries, Sri Lanka needs to come up with guidelines, for which discussions are currently underway. He went on to state that they have requested for these guidelines to be introduced as soon as possible, together with the legal and administrative aspects pertaining to the fertiliser. “We are trying to change a previously harmful system into a safer, better one through organic fertilisers, and if there is a need to change it or update it along the way, we will. We are currently trying to introduce new standards, and I am in discussions with several authorities and ministry director generals to introduce these guidelines in the coming weeks. This is what President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also wants; a functioning mechanism that brings us closer to our end goal of an organic Sri Lanka.”


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