PAU suggests alternative phosphatic fertilizers for wheat

Farmers opt for DAP due to higher phosphorus content

Wheat is the biggest rabi (winter-sown) crop of India.

Soil scientists at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, have advised replacing diammonium phosphate (DAP) in wheat and using alternative fertilizers containing phosphorus.

Dhanvinder Singh, head of the soil science department of PAU, Ludhiana, said that DAP is the fertilizer with the highest phosphorus content, which is used in paddy-wheat crop rotation. Due to its high phosphorus content, farmers prefer to apply more DAP to wheat crops.

“But now there are many fertilizers other than DAP which can be used as alternative sources of phosphorus,” he said. Dhanvinder said that DAP contains 46% phosphorus and 18% nitrogen. Another fertilizer NPK (12:32:16) contains 32% phosphorus, 12% nitrogen and 16% potassium.

“If DAP is not available, agricultural scientists said that one and a half bags of NPK (12:32:16) can be added to wheat instead. He said that NPK (12:32:16) can be the best alternative to DAP,” he said.

PAU scientists suggested that another alternative to DAP is single super phosphate (SSP) which contains 16% phosphorus. By applying three bags of single super phosphate, the phosphorus deficiency in wheat can be compensated and the crop also gets 18 kg of sulphur, they said.

Experts said triple super phosphate (TSP), which contains 46% phosphorus, can be used as a new fertilizer. They said TSP fertilizer has just come into the market which farmers can use for wheat.

Among other alternatives for DAP, 1.8 bags of NPK (10:26:26) can be added to wheat instead of DAP. PAU experts said that if SSP or TSP is used, 20 kg urea should be applied per acre at the time of sowing.

Farmers’ preference for phosphatic fertilizer in wheat

*Triple super phosphate is a new high-phosphatic fertilizer

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