Chemistry:Neem-coated urea
Neem-coated urea is a fertilizer, consisting of urea that is coated with neem tree seed oil.[1] It supported by an agriculture scheme of the Government of India to boost the growth of wheat and paddy,[2] and curb the black market and hoarding of urea.[3] In January 2015, the urea manufacturers were mandated by the government to increase their production from 35 percent to 75 percent of their subsidised amounts of neem-coated urea.[4] In her 2019 budget presentation, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about increased promotion of neem-coated urea among farmers which will help to reduce the cost of cultivation.[5]
Benefits of neem-coated urea include; increase of crop-specific yields by 15-30% on average along with higher levels of soil fertility.[1]
The patent (US 9 ,884,792 B2) for neem-coated urea is owned by Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd and its assignees are the Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd. & Aditya Birla Science and Technology co. ltd. under the guidance of Dr. Prashant Puri, who is the primary innovator in this area.[6]
Other coatings are also used for urea: moringa,[7] sulfur,[7] biochar,[7] other oils[8] and polymers.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ramappa, K. B.; Jadhav, Vilas; Manjunatha, A. V. (31 May 2022). "A benchmark study on economic impact of Neem Coated Urea on Indian agriculture". Scientific Reports 12 (9082). doi:10.1038/s41598-022-12708-1. PMID 35641568. PMC 9156691. Bibcode: 2022NatSR..12.9082R. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12708-1.
- ↑ "Important Government Schemes & Programmes in Agriculture" (in en). https://krishijagran.com/agripedia/important-government-schemes-programmes-in-agriculture/.
- ↑ Shekhar, Kumar Shakti (May 24, 2019). "10 development-oriented initiatives that fetched votes for Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha elections 2019" (in en). https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/10-development-oriented-initiatives-which-fetched-votes-for-narendra-modi-in-lok-sabha-elections-2019/articleshow/69488397.cms.
- ↑ Datta, Kanika (2016-02-16). "Neem-coated truth: Urea policy isn't a game-changer". Business Standard India. https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/neem-coated-truth-urea-policy-isn-t-a-game-changer-116021601168_1.html.
- ↑ "Strategy in place to double farmers' income by 2022, says FM Sitharaman". 10 July 2019. https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/strategy-in-place-to-double-farmers-income-by-2022-says-finance-minister-nimala-sitharaman/story/363262.html.
- ↑ "Micky Prashant Puri Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications". 12 October 2021. https://patents.justia.com/inventor/micky-prashant-puri.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Ashraf, Muhammad Nadeem; Rauf, Ashar (25 July 2025). "Coated Fertilizers Enhanced Nitrogen Use Efficiency Through Reducing Ammonia Volatilization While Increasing Crop Yield". Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 2025: 1–10. doi:10.1002/jpln.70001. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.70001.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Yuan, Shengnan; Cheng, Long; Tan, Zhongxin (May 2022). "Characteristics and preparation of oil-coated fertilizers: A review". Journal of Controlled Release 345 (May 2022): 675–684. doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.03.040. PMID 35339580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.03.040.
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