The determination of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to introduce Organic Fertilizer as soon as possible into Sri Lanka to replace imported chemical fertilizer has led him to opt for using Nano fertilizer bought from India to make up for the lack of nitrogen (only 1.0 percent) in locally produced organic fertilizer. This Nano fertilizer has a low concentration of only 4 percent of nitrogen and is to be applied to the leaves. The leaves are not a normal route for absorbing fertilizer into plants. They are specialized to carry out photosynthesis. The role of absorbing the fertilizer is done by the roots, as their specialized function.
One can only hope that Indian researchers have established that the Nano fertilizer is indeed absorbed through the leaves. If it does occur it is far better to use the Nano fertilizer by applying it to the soil when
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Prof. Tissa Vitarana |
| Dr. Nilwala Kottegoda |
the absorption would be very much greater. I am happy to inform the Government that Dr. Nilwala Kottegoda, who is working at the Nano Technology Centre that I established when I was Minister of Science and Technology (SLINTEC), has produced Nano particles with 40 percent nitrogen. She and her team have already used this in Sri Lanka for rice and tea with very good results. I give below the report that she sent to me regarding her results in Sri Lanka below:
A four percent nitrogen containing medium even at 100 percent theoretical efficiency is able to give only 4 g of Nitrogen per 100 ml. The function of Nano particles is to do a targeted delivery with minimum wastage. It is to be noted that 50 kg of Nitrogen is the theoretical target.
⬤ A Nano fertilizer based on urea-hydroxyapatite Nano particles was developed in 2010. SLINTEC innovation was the global first according to the patent search report from WIPO.
⬤This turned out to be a slow and sustained release fertilizer with a loading of 40 percent nitrogen which is closer to that of urea (46 percent) and more importantly it was a soil application formulation where plants absorb nutrients through the root system.
⬤ The major objective was to minimize wastage of fertilizer and increase the plant availability.
⬤ This was a platform technology which led to four US patents assigned to SLINTEC.
⬤ The process was scaled up by SLINTEC and has the capacity to produce 175 kg a day. Therefore the lab concept has been proved at pilot scale.
⬤ The product was tested at farmer field level for rice and tea.
⬤Best performances were observed in depleted soil suggesting its efficacy.
⬤ Up to 25 to 40 percent saving of urea together with 5 to 15 percent yield improvement was observed for rice while up to 25 to 50 saving with higher yield was observed for tea. Meantime nutrient improvement was observed.
⬤The process was further modified together with the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and now we have a greener process with higher energy and water saving and minimum waste generation.
⬤Furthermore the cell compatibility test was carried out in order to ensure the biocompatibility of the Nano particles. We can further introduce other nutrients into the same base formulation.
⬤ However we could not commercialize the innovation locally.
⬤As a result the technology was transferred to Nagarjuna fertilizer Limited in 2013. The agreement was $3 M while SLINTEC revived half of the agreed amount.
⬤SLINTEC still has legal rights to produce and commercialize this technology in SL.
⬤ I believe that it is the high time to look for commercial investors.
⬤ We can not only produce it for local consumption but also for the export market.
⬤ However economics become more practical if we can propose the project together with a green urea plant.
⬤ I am sure we can certainly support the current green agriculture shift which has been initiated by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and the GOSL through this project. Please protect your own baby at this critical situation.
⬤If you need any further information please do contact me. It’s the dream of our team to make this a reality.
⬤By the way SLINTEC has a new CEO who relocated with my invitation. He has more than 40 years of experience in managing facilities of this nature in the US and Europe.
⬤ SLINTEC and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura have other green agriculture innovations too.
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| Nano fertilizers from India being unloaded at BIA. |
As the Minister of Science and Technology in the UPFA Government, with Mahinda Rajapaksa as the President, it was with great difficulty that SLINTEC was set up. I encouraged the research effort of Dr. Kottegoda and she came up with the new technology that would promote agriculture in Sri Lanka.
Unfortunately, though her project proposal was patented there was no large-scale producer of urea in Sri Lanka to buy the patent and develop the product here. This led to SLINTEC having to sell the patent to the massive Nagarjuna Company in India.
Dr. Kottegoda spent three weeks there to teach them the technology. But as we had sold the patent with the condition that we could utilize it in Sri Lanka without paying them any royalty, it was possible for SLINTEC to set up a pilot plant and then proceed to produce Nano fertilizer. We should make use of our product to achieve the scientific development of agriculture in Sri Lanka. I hope the Government will give maximum support to this effort.
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