Significant achievements during 2021-2026

i. Title of Technology developed:

Pusa Soil Test Fertilizer Recommendation Meter (Pusa STFR Meter)

Salient feature of the Research/Technology: 
Pusa Soil Test and Fertilizer Recommendation (STFR) Meter was developed to cater the need of the millions of farmers of India. It is programmable, portable, low-cost, digital-equipment that brings soil testing at farmers’ doorstep. It is capable of determining fourteen soil parameters i.e., soil pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, available nutrients [nitrogen (derived), phosphorus, potassium, Sulphur, zinc, boron, iron, manganese and copper], lime and gypsum requirement. It can also give fertilizer recommendation for important crops. It is useful in monitoring and maintaining mineral supply capacity of soil for plant growth and the quality of the produce for ultimately sustaining animal and human health i.e. one health concept. Hence, the innovation may play a pivotal role in achieving goals of sustainable development.

Adoption

• This commercialized machine is being manufactured by 17 firms.
• During 2024, 1000 Pusa STFR machines were given to different Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navodaya Vidyalaya in a joint effort by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India. Training has been given to the teachers and 12th standard students for doing soil analysis.
• In addition, around 500 units is being used by different governmental agencies, fertilizer industries and NGOs.
• The sold Pusa STFR meter machines are mainly being used for analyzing soil samples from farmers’ fields across the country. 

Impact

FLDs were conducted on rice (kharif) and wheat (rabi) in Rajpura (Aligarh) village since 2015-16 in order to evaluate the performance of soil test-based fertilizer recommendation using PUSA STFR meter. Fifty-one trials, twenty on rice and thirty-one on wheat, were conducted from 2015-2021. It is highly useful particularly for the areas, where soil testing facility is not available and is instrumental in implementing soil health card scheme of GOI, which was launched in 2015 with the objectives of providing the field-specific soil fertility status along with fertilizer recommendations to about 146 million operational holdings of the country.

ii. Title of Technology developed:
Zinc-loaded nano clay polymer composites

Salient feature of the Research/Technology: 
This invention relates to Zn-loaded bentonite polymer-based formulations for the improvement of soil fertility and Zn nutrition of plants in agriculture. The invention provides a method to develop Zn-loaded bentonite polymer-based slow-release fertilizer formulations. Polymer formulations impregnated with Zn act as slow-release Zn careers on swelling in soil by establishing equilibrium after application. These formulations are slow and sustained release in nature, which is capable of improving Zn supplying capacity of soil for alleviating Zn deficiency in plants and thereby increasing its use efficiency up to 10%. 

Adoption
A patent entitled ‘Zinc-loaded bentonite polymer-based controlled release formulations for perpetual zinc supply’ has been filed.  

iii. Name of the technology:

Enriched organic manure with rock phosphate for enhancing crop production and soil fertility

Brief Description of the Technology:

At present, diammonium phosphate (DAP) and single super phosphate (SSP) are the most used P- fertilizers in the country and the Government of India is spending several hundred crores of rupees every year on importing raw materials like high-grade rock phosphate (RP) and sulphuric acid or elemental sulphur needed for manufacturing DAP and SSP. However, the phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) of commercial P-fertilizers, available at present, under field conditions is about 15-20% under best management practices because of P-fixation in most of the soils. Large quantities of pressmud are generated in India. However, the nutrients content of this organic manure is low, particularly the P content which may be improved by developing novel product of organic manure enriched with phosphate. One of the methods to improve the P content of organic manures is by incorporation of indigenous low-grade rock phosphate from Udaipur into the product during composting of pressmud. Based on this background, a rock phosphate-pressmud compost was prepared from press mud and rock phosphate through composting. This will not only facilitate proper management of wastes like pressmud, but also will reduce dependency on commercial P fertilizers.

Other important outputs 

• The carbon carrying capacities and carbon saturation deficis of Vertisol (Jabalpur), Mollisol (Pantnagar), Inceptisol (Ludhiana), and Alfisol (Ranchi) had been worked out.
• Developed polymer based new phosphatic fertilizer products which can save around 25% of fertilizer P. Synthesized polymer coated slow release DAP fertilizer and organic acid loaded NCPC product with RP and PSB for enhancing fertilizer P use efficiency.
• Developed low-cost P and K enriched compost using low-grade rock phosphate (RP) and waste mica (K-bearing mineral).
• Silica rich rice straw and sugarcane leaf could be potential amendment for solubilizing native soil P which may reduce the dependency on P fertilizers.
• A minimum maintenance dose of K has been conceptualized and worked out as the supplementation of K to meet up 85% of crop K removal in alluvial soil with low available K status, and 21% of that in soil with high available K.