Economic Reporter :
Nitrogen Efficiency for Bioavailability (NEB) is now applied to maximize its uptake and decrease environmental impact by decreasing usage of urea fertilizer, experts say. It is a blend of natural ROOT EXUDATES, which helps to increase microbial activities in the soil. By the use of NEB, plants get more of the N for longer period of time which helps to give significant growth advantages of plants.
Nowadays potato is grown in 4.96 lac hectre land in Bangladesh. On an average 20.77 MT potato is grown per hectre. Nitrogen is used as the main nutrient for cultivating potato. Urea is used as the source of Nitrogen. So due to the increasing trend of demand of Urea, every year Bangladesh imports 1-1.5 Mio MT Urea fertilizer from abroad.
However, farmers are concerned about their high spending on Urea. So they are using NEB which is a type of root extract which contains 17pc Fulvic acid that helps to increase the number of soil microorganisms to save up to 50% Urea or Nitrogen. NEB activates the beneficial microorganisms and fungi of plants’ risosphere.
Microorganisms preserve nitrogen in their body through immobilization process. When these microorganisms die, the organic nitrogen turns to acceptable form of plant through mineralization process. Plants take that nitrogen gradually.
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Munshiganj has reported that they have found an average production of 32.1 MT potato per hecrte of land where NEB has been used. On the contrary the average production of potato is 30.3 MT per hectre of land where NEB is not used with Urea. Already many farmers of Munshiganj are using NEB. Some farmers have said that they have saved Tk. 1500 per hectre by using NEB. They also have mentioned that now they are using 190 KGs of Urea per hectre instead of 380 KGs.
Incidentally, from market visit it is found that NEB is an American product and ACI Fertilizer is distributing this product in Bangladesh.
Bashir Ahmed, Business Director of ACI fertilizer expressed that “NEB not only saves 50% usage of Urea but also decreases the demand of Urea”. “ACI Fertilizer works to provide farmers easily available farming technologies and fertilizers at a lower price”, he added.
