Haryana
Urea-Efficient Wheat Varieties
- 19 Dec 2024
- 3 min read
Why in News?
Indian and Japanese institutions are collaborating to develop India's first wheat varieties using Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI) technology, marking a significant step towards sustainable agriculture.
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute(CSSRI), Karnal is involved in this project.
Key Points
- Aim:
- These varieties aim to reduce urea dependency, addressing challenges such as environmental sustainability, agricultural productivity, and the financial burden of urea subsidies.
- Collaborative Effort:
- The project is also a joint initiative by Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), and Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA).
- It is carried out in collaboration with the Japan International Research Centre for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) and funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
- Transformative Potential of BNI:
- According to Scientists at CSSRI, BNI technology can reduce nitrogen fertiliser demand without compromising yield or quality.
- He added that BNI supports sustainable agriculture by minimizing nitrogen leaching into groundwater, thereby preserving soil fertility and water resources.
- Promising Results:
- Senior Scientist at IIWBR, reported a 15-20% reduction in urea usage in initial experiments without affecting yield or quality.
- The breeding strategy for developing BNI-enabled wheat varieties is progressing well.
- Future Implications:
- This breakthrough collaboration between India and Japan is set to revolutionize wheat cultivation, reduce urea dependency, and address global agricultural challenges.
Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI)
- It is a natural plant process that can help regulate nitrification in agricultural systems, and improve nitrogen-use efficiency.
- It can help develop sustainable agricultural systems that are productive but least damaging to the environment.
- High levels of nitrification can lead to NO leaching, denitrification, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Subsidy on Urea
- In India, urea is the most produced, imported, consumed and physically regulated fertiliser of all. It is subsidised only for agricultural uses.
- The Centre pays a subsidy on urea to fertiliser manufacturers on the basis of cost of production at each plant and the units are required to sell the fertiliser at the government-set Maximum Retail Price (MRP).
