Neem-coated urea can bring better paddy output, finds study

The researchers focussed on Davangere and Raichur districts for paddy

Application of neem-coated urea by the State’s farmers propelled a higher paddy output and net income in the 2015 kharif season when compared to 2014, when normal urea was used, says a study recently submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture.

The paddy output increased from 28 quintals an acre in 2014 to 36 quintals in 2015 kharif, while the paddy by-product increased from 62 quintals to 67 quintals. On an average, the net return for one acre increased from ₹13,492 to ₹21,474.

However, the toor output — both main and by-product — declined to 2 quintals an acre in 2015 from 3 quintals in 2014 because of severe drought, said the study titled “Impact of neem-coated urea on production, productivity and soil health in Karnataka”. The study was conducted by the Institute for Social Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru.

It revealed that 85% of paddy farmers enjoyed an increase in yield of 12% when they used neem-coated urea.

From 2015, the Centre made it mandatory on the part all indigenous producers of urea to produce 100% of their total production of subsidised urea with neem coating. K.B. Ramappa and A.V. Manjunatha, faculty members of the Agricultural Development and Rural Transformation Centre, ISEC, conducted the study for paddy and toor (kharif) crops under irrigated and rainfed conditions. They focussed on Davangere and Raichur districts for paddy, and on Kalaburagi and Vijayapura districts for toor.

Costs reduce

According to their report, the costs incurred on pest and disease control and on weed management declined by 18% and 20%, respectively, and this was revealed by 60% of paddy growers and 21% of toor farmers. About 59% of the paddy farmers noticed an improvement in soil health, quality of grain, and market acceptability of grains because of the application of neem-coated urea.

It is also reported that overall, 16% of medium-level farmers, 13% of large farmers, and 12% of the marginal and small farmers were aware of neem-coated urea in the State. “A majority of the farmers are not able to differentiate between the two,” the report said, adding that low awareness was because of the delay in distribution of soil health cards under various programmes related to soil testing.