Context

As part of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat initiative to promote self-sufficiency in Fertilisers, Government of India has been advising and supporting the Indian fertiliser companies to strengthen their backend supply chain.

About

Diammonium phosphate (DAP):

• Diammonium phosphate (DAP) is the world’s most widely used phosphorus fertilizer.
• It is a preferred fertilizer in India because it contains both Nitrogen and Phosphorus which are primary macro-nutrients and part of 18 essential plant nutrients.
• Fertilizer grade DAP Contains 18% Nitrogen and 46% Phosphorus (P2O5).
• DAP is manufactured by reacting Ammonia with Phosphoric acid under controlled conditions in fertilizer plants.
  
  

Properties:

• It is a very popular fertilizer because of its excellent physical properties and nutrient content.
• It is free flowing, dust-free and does not normally give any storage problem.
• DAP is almost water-soluble and ultimately leaves acid effect on soils because of ammonia (NH4) it contains.
• DAP on incorporation into soil, reacts with water and gets converted into HPO4 and NH4.
  • Ammonium (NH4) follows the same routes as in case of urea.
  • Phosphorus in DAP is present in best available from (HPO4).
• Depending upon the soil reaction (pH), phosphorus exists in 3 forms which can be absorbed by plant roots.
• These are HPO4, H2PO4 and PO4. Phosphorus, which is immobile in soil, is not subjected to leaching losses.
  
  

Non-Agricultural Use:

• DAP also acts as a fire retardant.
  • For example, a mixture of DAP and other ingredients can be spread in advance of a fire to prevent a forest from burning. It then becomes a nutrient source after the danger of fire has passed.
• DAP is used in various industrial processes, too, such as metal finishing.
• It is commonly added to wine to sustain yeast fermentation and to milk to produce cheese cultures.