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How to Identify Real and Fake DAP Fertilizer at Home Easily
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News18•05-10-2026, 17:44
How to Identify Real and Fake DAP Fertilizer at Home Easily
- •As the sowing season approaches, the demand for DAP increases and fake fertilizer sellers become active, leading to financial loss for farmers.
- •Simply blowing air on DAP grains on your palm is not enough to test authenticity, as Single Super Phosphate can also create moisture.
- •Expert Dr. Devi Prasad Shukla suggests mixing DAP with lime and rubbing it on your palm to check for a strong ammonia odor.
- •Heating a few grains of DAP on a hot griddle can also reveal authenticity through a strong ammonia smell; if it melts differently, it may be fake.
- •Farmers should buy only from authorized dealers, check packet details, get a bill, and consult agriculture experts for soil and crop requirements.
Key Questions Answered
Farmers can take a little DAP fertilizer, mix it with a small amount of lime, and rub them together on their palm. If DAP is present, the chemical reaction between its nitrogen and the lime will produce a strong odor resembling ammonia.
When real DAP grains are heated on a household griddle (tava), they produce a strong odor like ammonia or begin to swell up. If there is no ammonia odor and the grains burn or melt unusually, the fertilizer may be fake.
Blowing air on DAP grains can create moisture or stickiness due to the nitrogen content, but single super phosphate can also produce moisture when blown upon. This similarity can cause farmers to be tricked into buying fake fertilizer, so experts recommend additional tests.
