As part of initiatives for promotion of alternate fertilizers, the government has introduced the new fortified Urea combination - Sulphur coated Urea (SCU) also called as Urea Gold.
Sulphur coated urea is inter-alia being proposed as a premium urea in the market. It is being called as Urea gold because of its yellowish-goldish colour. The Department is, therefore, considering to introduce a 40 kg bag which can be equal to 45 kg bag of urea.
Sulphur Coated Urea (SCU) is a non-organic slow-release fertilizer that is a result of coating urea with sulphur. Such a coating of urea granules with sulphur results in the formation of a membrane that regulates the availability of nitrogen for plant growth. It is generally prepared by coating preheated urea granules with molten sulfur. The SCU generally contains about 31%–38% N. Besides improving nitrogen use efficiency, the availability of Sulphur also improves plant growth.
Urea Gold introduced in India contains S-17% and N-37%.
Sulphur coated urea was originally developed at the Tennessee Valley Authority laboratories and manufactured commercially for almost 30 years in USA. Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (RCF) have produced in-house laboratory scale SCU with specifications of FCO, 1985.
The actual cost of one bag of urea is more than Rs. 2,000 but it is being sold for Rs. 266 due to government subsidy. Sulphur coated urea is probably to be subsidized and most likely a 40 kg bag of urea gold may be sold for Rs. 400 to Rs. 500.
Last Modified : 10/19/2023
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