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Imported liquid Nano-Nitrogen fertiliser not organic, says a group of academics
The liquid Nano-Nitrogen fertiliser from Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO) imported by the government is a synthetic chemical fertiliser, and not an organic fertiliser, academics attached to the Agriculture and Technology Faculties of State Universities said yesterday.
They issued a statement under the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) letterhead:
“The Nano-Nitrogen fertilizer of IFFCO is a urea-based formulation where urea is coated with polymers to make nano-size particles. Therefore, this fertilizer is a synthetic chemical fertiliser, and not an organic fertilizer. The Nano-Nitrogen fertilizer is recommended to apply as a foliar spray and said to contain 4% Nitrogen. This is rather a new product, which has very recently (2021 March) received approval for large scale production from the Ministry of Agriculture of India. Anyhow, nano-fertilisers are not accepted in organic agriculture in Sri Lanka as indicated in the standard of requirements for organic agriculture (SLS1324:2018),” the statement said.
FUTA added that the Ministry of Agriculture claims that three applications of 2.5 L of this fertilizer at a time (i.e. 7.5 L in total) is adequate to provide required nutrients for the cultivation of one hectare of paddy crop. When applied at this rate, Nano-Nitrogen fertilizer would provide only 300 g of Nitrogen per one hectare.
“However, in general, nearly 105 kg of nitrogen is taken up by the paddy crop yielding 4-5 tons of grains per hectare. Accordingly, Nano-Nitrogen fertiliser should be applied at a rate of 1,250 L per hectare if it is the only source of nitrogen added to the crop, which is an impossible task to be realized within a cropping season,” the academics said.
Given below is the statement in full: “The government of Sri Lanka recently imported liquid Nano-Nitrogen fertilizer from Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO). From an initial order of 3.1 million liters, 45,000 liters (90,000 bottles, each carrying 500 ml) were airlifted on 19th October 2021 to Sri Lanka. We have learned that there are many misconceptions being publicized in the mass media on this Nano-Nitrogen fertilizer. As a concerned group of agricultural professionals in the country, academics attached to the Agriculture and Technology Faculties of State Universities in Sri Lanka, we wish to provide correct scientific facts about the imported fertilizer and express our views on this matter as follows.
“The Nano-Nitrogen fertilizer of IFFCO is a urea-based formulation where urea is coated with polymers to make nano-size particles. Therefore, this fertilizer is a synthetic chemical fertilizer, and not an organic fertilizer. The Nano-Nitrogen fertilizer is recommended to apply as a foliar spray and said to contain 4% Nitrogen. This is rather a new product, which has very recently (2021 March) received approval for large scale production from the Ministry of Agriculture of India. Anyhow, nano-fertilizers are not accepted in organic agriculture in Sri Lanka as indicated in the standard of requirements for organic agriculture (SLS1324:2018).
“In media briefings conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, we learned that three applications of 2.5 L of this fertilizer at a time (i.e. 7.5 L in total) is adequate to provide required nutrients for the cultivation of one hectare of paddy crop. When applied at this rate, Nano-Nitrogen fertilizer would provide only 300 g of Nitrogen per one hectare. In general, nearly 105 kg of nitrogen is taken up by the paddy crop yielding 4-5 tons of grains per hectare. Accordingly, Nano-Nitrogen fertilizer should be applied at a rate of 1,250 L per hectare if it is the only source of nitrogen added to the crop, which is an impossible task to be realized within a cropping season.
“In their official website, IFFCO has indicated that this Nano-Nitrogen fertilizer should be applied only as a top dressing along with a reduced rate of urea, while phosphorus and potassium sources are to be supplied at full rate as per the recommendations. All research reports on this liquid fertilizer have recommended using this fertilizer to fulfil only partial requirements of Nitrogen for crops and often used with 50% recommended dose of urea. Therefore, Nano-Nitrogen is more appropriate to be viewed as a supplementary source of Nitrogen than a major nutrient source.
“Spraying liquid fertilizer may not be practical for some crops unless the farmers have access to drone technology. This is because spraying large areas and taller crops such as maize and sugarcane is not practical with commonly used spray tanks. Moreover, the effectiveness of these foliar fertilizers depends on the ground-cover by leaf area, weather conditions and application technology. Therefore, it is a necessity to provide clear guidance to the farmers on correct application procedures.
“In this context there is a serious question as to what should be recommended to the farmers in Sri Lanka, as the sources of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium nutrients are limited in the market with the recent ban imposed on importing synthetic ‘chemical’ fertilizer. It is important to note that the benefit of Nano-Nitrogen cannot be realized when the crop suffers from nutrient imbalances. The Nano-fertilizer is applied at a much lower rate than regular urea fertilizer application mainly because it is a foliar spray. Applying the Nano-Nitrogen fertilizer at high concentrations, in the absence of soil application of Nitrogen fertilizer such as urea, could damage leaves. Therefore, the available option would be to have repeated application of Nano-Nitrogen fertilizer at a lower dosage.
“It should be noted that nano-fertilizers are more expensive than regular nitrogen fertilizers. Thus, considering the cost of the fertilizer and labor cost for application, the use of foliar fertilizers in a crop like paddy is expensive and will increase the cost of production.
“Any fertilizer imported to the country needs to be tested following the accepted protocols prior to giving approval for importation and after the shipment has arrived in order to assure quality and to avoid any negative impacts. Sri Lanka does not have developed SLS standards for nano-fertilizers, yet. These standards should be developed to assure quality of the product free of biurate-like toxic substances. Besides, recommendations should not be made in an ad-hoc manner without conducting any field investigations.
“Furthermore, in the eco-friendly/green agriculture concept, much attention is given to improve and regenerate soil fertility. However, foliar application of fertilizers will not contribute to enhancing soil fertility. Therefore, while failing to achieve higher crop yields, it is highly unlikely that the expensive Nano-Fertilizer we have imported will help in realizing the objectives of green-agriculture.”
Suresh Sallay, who played a significant role in the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) during the war, has been arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
DIG (Legal Division) Jaliya Senaratne yesterday told a hastily called media briefing that Sallay had been arrested in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage. Senaratne said that as the ex-officer had been apprehended in terms of the PTA, he could be held for 72 hours for questioning.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested him at Peliyagoda yesterday morning. At the time of the suicide bombings, Sallay had been at the National Defence College (NDC) of India.
Sallay had been under investigation over declaration made by one Azad Maulana, in an interview with British television network Channel 4, that Sallay met the Easter Sunday bombers, including their leader Zahran Hashim, in February 2018. Responding to Maulana’s allegation, Sallay told the UK network that he had been assigned to the Sri Lankan mission, in Malaysia, during the 2016-2018 period and never left the country in 2018.
According to Sallay, he had been out of Malaysia only once, during the entire 2016-2018 period, and that was in 2017.
Maulana also accused him of meeting Pilleyan who, at that time, was held at Prison.
Pilleyan, too, was arrested in connection with the same investigation.
Following the change of government in November 2019, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed Sallay head of the State Intelligence Services (SIS), a post previously held by Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena accused of the worst post-war intelligence failure.
Sallay retired in October 2024 following Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s victory in the presidential election. (SF)
The Communist Party yesterday (25) said that all individuals, regardless of political affiliation or status, responsible for the coal procurement scandal, should be held accountable, if found guilty of wrongdoing. The Opposition has directly pointed fingers at Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody in this regard. The following is the text of the statement issued by the CP:
“The Communist Party of Sri Lanka wishes to add its voice to the growing public outcry in response to the unfolding revelations surrounding the coal procurement scandal. These revelations have, once again, exposed the deep‑rooted corruption embedded within the neoliberal governance framework that has dominated the country’s economic management for decades.
The CPSL condemns, in the strongest terms, the irregularities and manipulations that have allegedly taken place in the awarding of coal supply contracts. These actions represent not mere administrative lapses but a systematic betrayal of the public trust, carried out at the expense of the national economy, and the working people, who ultimately bear the burden of such misconduct.
The Party emphasises the following:
* Corruption, in strategic sectors such as energy, threatens national sovereignty directly, as it compromises the stability of essential services and places the country at the mercy of private profiteers.
* The scandal reflects the failure of successive governments to establish transparent, accountable, and socially responsible procurement systems, instead allowing political patronage networks and corporate interests to dominate public resources, which the National People’s Power government swore to eradicate
* The CPSL calls for a full, independent, and publicly accessible investigation, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of political affiliation or status, are held accountable, if found guilty of wrongdoing.
* The CPSL urges the government to immediately review procurement mechanisms across all state institutions, ensuring that national resources are managed in the interest of the people rather than of private intermediaries.
The Communist Party of Sri Lanka stands firmly with the working class and the broad masses in demanding justice and transparency. The coal procurement scandal must not be allowed to fade into yet another episode of unpunished corruption. It must become a turning point toward building a state apparatus that serves the people, not the profiteers.”
The University of Jaffna has joined a protest campaign in the northern and eastern regions opposing both the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the newly proposed counter-terrorism law.
The campaign is being carried out, under the theme “Neither the old nor the new,” reflecting mounting opposition to both the existing PTA and the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB). Organisers have called for the outright repeal of the PTA and the withdrawal of the new legislation.
Organisers conducted a four-day signature campaign recently. Jaffna University has been one of the venues for the signature campaign , sources said.
Sources said that the mobilisation at the University has been jointly organised by the University Employees’ Union, the University Teachers’ Association and the University Students’ Union. All three bodies have urged the government to withdraw the proposed law and repeal the PTA, warning that successive counter-terror frameworks risk entrenching extraordinary powers under a different legislative guise rather than delivering meaningful reform.
Across the North and East, similar protests and signature campaigns have taken place in recent days. In Point Pedro, civil organisations conducted a signature campaign on Saturday, asserting that neither the PTA nor any proposed legislation, framed as protecting the state from terrorism, is acceptable.
In Chenkalady, Batticaloa district, a large-scale campaign, held on 20 February, drew civil society activists from across the region. The protest, organised by the Batticaloa District Civil Society Activists’ Association, took place along Market Shop Street and saw participants call for the repeal of the PTA and oppose the proposed new law.
Civil society representatives warned that both the existing PTA and the proposed PSTB pose serious threats to civil liberties and democratic rights. Organisers distributed awareness leaflets outlining concerns that the new law could replicate or even expand the sweeping powers long associated with the PTA.
Opposition to the legislation has grown in recent weeks, with activists, religious leaders and civil society groups warning that the proposed reforms risk further entrenching repression under the pretext of national security.
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