Formulation useful as a nitrification and urease inhibitor...

Chemistry: fertilizers – Processes and products – Organic material-containing

Reexamination Certificate

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C071S064070

Reexamination Certificate

active

06315807

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel formulation comprising nitrogenous fertilizers in combination with castor oil and oil derived from
Artemisia annua
useful as nitrification and urease inhibitor. More particularly, the invention relates to the development of a cheap, and potential urease
itrification inhibitor from essential oil (
Artemisia annua
oil). The invention also provides a method for producing the novel formulation useful as nitrification inhibitor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Among the agricultural inputs to augment food production, use of fertilizer, in particular urea plays a key role. It is estimated that the present global consumption of fertilizer N is in the order of 77 Tg annually which is estimated to be increased to 144 Tg by the beginning of next century. In India, the present consumption of fertilizer N is about 9.5 m tons which is estimated to be increased to 14 m tons by 2001. Utilization efficiency of fertilizer N seldom exceeds 50%; it is yet low in paddy.
When applied to soil, urea hydrolyses by enzyme urease to from NH
4
and finally to NO
3
by some bacteria. The NH
4
is subjected to loss by volatilization whereas NO
3
is prone to losses through leaching and dentrification. Apart from increasing the cost of cultivation in agriculture, N losses through leaching as well as in gaseous form have direct concern in environmental degradation. As a consequence of leaching NO
3
concentration in ground water has been increasing at an alarming rate. Any strategy that can restrict or retard these processes, would reduce the loss of N. The present invention deals with finding strategies for retarding urea transformation and nitrification for a higher fertilizer N use efficiency.
Researchers have tried to reduce the losses of N (i) by applying N in small doses at different growth stages of crop, so that the plants use it before it is lost and (ii) by deep placement or incorporating the urea in soil. The ammonium produced can be retained for sometimes in the exchange complex of soil clay particles.
Some of the modern tools suggested are (I) use of urease inhibitors such as phenylphosphorodieamidate (PPD), hydroxamates and benzoqauinones (Gould, W D et al 1986, Adv. Agron. 40: 209-238), which reduce the hydrolysis of urea and this can reduce ammonia volatilization lossess, and (ii) use of nitrification inhibitors such as N serve or nitrapyrin (2-chloro-6(tricholoromethyl)-pyridine), DCD (dicyandiamide), AM (2-amino 4-chloro-6-methylpyrimidine), KN
3
(potassium azide) and thiourea (Sahrawat, 1989, Adv.Agron 42: 279-302, Prasad and Power, 1995, Adv. Agron 54: 233-81).
These compounds have been successful in some parts of the world. However, because of cost and poor availability these could not be made commercially popular to common farmer. An interesting discovery was the nitrification inhibitory properties of neem seed cake (Prasad et al, 1971, Adv. Agron 23: 337-381) and neem cake coated urea and has found some favour among Indian farmers. Neem bittern/extracts such as Nimin, Neemex etc. for treating urea are in Indian market. More recently a neem oil urea emulsion adduct has also been reported (Prasad et al. 1998. Curr. Sci. 75: 15). Many of the fertilizer mixture, coated materials specially synthetic chemicals are put to limited use such as in turf or in high price agriculture such as commercial floriculture and that to in developed countries and have not reached the general farmers due to high costs.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The main object of the invention is to develop a novel urease and nitrification inhibitor from natural source, more particularly the evaluation of urease and nitrification inhibiting properties in Artemisia oil.
Another object is to develop novel urease nitrification inhibitor formulation comprising urea and other nitrogenous fertilizers, castor oil and oil derived from
Artemisia annua.
Yet another object is to develop cheap and eco-friendly urease and nitrification inhibitor which is easily decomposable and leave no adverse influence in the soil.
Still another object is to provide a method for producing nitrification inhibitor formulation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises of development of urease and nitrification inhibitors from essential oil and its derivatives coated with urea/ammonium producing N fertilizers (0.5-1.0% on w/w basis of fertilizer). Nitrogenous fertilizer is initially coated with castor oil at 1% (w/w basis of fertilizer). The coating resulted in retarding of nitrification by 29-36% as against 31-42% with dicyandiamide (DCD), which is taken as the reference. This formulation was found superior to DCD with respect to inhibition of urease activity (retarded by 32-35% as compared to DCD; 5-15%). The activity of both the nitrifying organisms i.e. Nirosomonus and Nitrobacter significantly decreased with this formulation. This natural product formulation augmented apparent N recovery to 56% against 37% with uncoated urea and 54% with DCD.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a novel formulation useful as a nitrification and urease inhibitor, said formulation comprising an effective amount of nitrogenous fertilizer, castor oil and oil derived from
Artemisia annua
, in an amount sufficient to enhance the nitrification inhibitory activity of the formulation.
In an embodiment of the invention, the amount of caster oil can be selected from 0.2 to 2% (w/w basis of fertilizer), preferably 1.0% (w/w basis of fertilizer).
In another embodiment, the amount of oil used in the composition, which is derived from
Artemisia annua
may be in the range of about 0.5-5% (w/w basis of fertilizer).
In a further embodiment of the invention, the essential oil of
Artemisia annua
may be coated, mixed or doped with the nitrogenous fertilizer.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the nitrogen fertilizer may be selected from urea or ammonium sulphate and other ammonium producing fertilizer.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the essential oil may be selected from Artemisia oil or its derivatives.
In another embodiment the invention provides a method for producing nitrification inhibitor formulation comprising the step of applying an effective amount of castor oil (1.0%) and oil obtained from
Artemisia annua
to nitrogenous fertilizer.
In an embodiment, the nitrogenous fertilizer may be coated, doped or even mixed with castor oil and oil obtained from
Artemisia annua
or its derivatives.
Yet another embodiment of the invention relates to a method of using Artemisia oil as urease and nitrification inhibitor which comprises of coating urea granules or any other ammonium forming fertilizer with castor oil 1.0% w/w basis of fertilizer as a primary coating (as fixative material) followed by coating with Artemisia oil in the range of 0.5%-5.0% (w/w basis of the fertilizer).
Nitrogen is one of the most vital plant nutrients in agriculture. It is estimated that present global consumption of fertilizer N is of the order of 77 Tg annually which is likely to increase to 145 Tg by the beginning of the next century. India consumes about 9.5 million tones, which is estimated to be increased to about 14 million tones by 2005. Fertilizer urea comprises of more than 80% of the total consumption of nitrogenous fertilizers. Out of the total quantity of N applied to soil the recovery seldom exceeds 50%. It is further less in submerged conditions (rice). Fertilizer urea when applied to soil is hydrolysed by enzyme urease to form NH
4
which is prone to losses through volatilization. The NH
4
further oxidies to NO
2
and finally to NO
3
by nitrification which are generally lost through leaching and denitrification. Any process that slows down these transformation processes can reduce loss of N to a great extent. Urease and nitrification inhibitors play a vital role in retarding these processes, thereby increasing the nitrogen use efficiency.
A series of chemicals have been reported as urease and nitrification inhibitors. However, use of many

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