Asking farmers not to use conventional urea too much as its continuous and excessive use reduces soil fertility and makes it acidic, the Agriculture Department has advised them to use nano urea and nano DAP instead.

As farmers in coastal Karnataka gear up for another kharif season to cultivate paddy, the department in an advisory said when the soil becomes acidic, the availability of nutrients required by plants decreases. The activity of beneficial microorganisms gets disturbed, affecting soil health, nutrient balance and plant growth.