ROLE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS IN AGRICULTURE

- By Deepika Bansal (CH19125) & Dishank Rana (CH19127)

ABSTRACT

Agriculture holds a significant share in the economic development of countries, especially

India which is still in the developing stage. It not only provides food to the nation but also
contributes to employment, earns foreign exchange and provides raw materials for various
industries. The development and growth of agriculture are thus an integral part of the overall
development of the country. The chemical industry has played a crucial role in revolutionizing
agriculture over the years. The engineers associated with this industry have provided several
solutions for advancements in food production and sustainable farming to keep pace with the
growing population. In India, after the green revolution the relevance of chemical fertilizers,
insecticides, fungicides, and pesticides became prominent in agriculture. These chemicals play
a crucial role in controlling plant diseases caused due to insects, pests, or weeds and improving
soil quality, hence enhancing overall productivity. In addition to this, the introduction of
advanced technology in irrigation systems, pest control, food preservation, sterilization,
packaging and food security are some of the other major contributions of chemical engineers
in the agriculture and food industry. Modern day practices such as production of biochar,
bioethanol, and biogas have provided sustainable solutions to the menace of stubble burning.
The present work discusses some of these major contributions of chemical engineers in Indian
Agriculture.

1. INTRODUCTION

India is the largest producer of milk, pulses, spices, tea, cashew and jute and second largest
producer of rice, wheat, sugarcane, groundnut, vegetables, fruit and cotton after China. India
has the tenth-largest arable land area in the world, along with 20 agro-climatic regions and 46
out of the 60 soil types found globally. Although the contribution of the Indian agriculture
sector to the country’s GDP is around 13.8%, agriculture continues to be the backbone of Indian
economy as it serves as the primary source of livelihood for approximately 58% of India’s
population. It is the leading exporter of agricultural products and in the year 2021-2022 the
country’s total agricultural export was worth US $49.6 which is almost 20% more than that in
the year 2020-21 i.e., US $41.3 [1]. The Government’s vision to transform India into a USD 5
trillion economy by 2025 is a huge goal and would require all sectors to grow at significantly
higher rates. If the agriculture and allied sectors are to contribute the same proportion of the
gross value added (GVA) in a USD 5 trillion economy as they do at present, they would need
to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.3% till 2025, which is nearly two-and-
a-half times the CAGR of 3.8% registered by these sectors between 2015–20 [2]. Moreover,
with the world population expected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030 and 9.7 billion by 2050, the
demand for food and agriculture products will significantly rise in the coming years. In order
to meet this requirement without significant impact on environment, the agriculture sector will
need to develop new innovative solutions that increase production efficiency using the same
land resources.

Chemical engineers have played a pivotal role in the growth and development of agriculture
since independence. After the green revolution their role became prominent due to the increase
in the usage of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides which helped in improving the overall
yield. They design processes and equipment for large-scale manufacturing, plan and test
production techniques and by-products treatment. In addition, they are responsible for
developing procedures for the safe handling of chemicals and teaching those procedures to
workers who handle the chemicals or work with equipment. They carry out quality assurance
tests and ascertain that operations relating to chemicals or by-products comply with standard
regulations and laws as regards to environmental hazards [3].

2. HISTORY OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE

2.1 PRE INDEPENDENCE-PERIOD

Under colonial rule, India lost its glory of handicraft products and the small manufacturers
which were in great demand all over the world. The only source of income for 80% of the
population was agriculture who lived in villages and small towns. The agricultural income was
roughly around 95% of the economy. However, the annual produce was very less for the entire
population. The various taxation systems like the Zamindari System, Ryotwari system and
Mahalwari system took away a significant part of the food grain production away from the debt
bonded small peasants. Apart from this, the brutal British orders to produce cash crops like
indigo to boost profits instead of food crops, shift the food supply to the war zone for the British
soldiers rather than to keep it for people, which eventually led to the Great Bengal Famine of
1943. The famine wiped out an estimated 2.1 - 3.8 million people [4]. The partition
unfortunately took away the most fertile and lush green area of Sindh and Punjab for cultivation
from India which created a major food crisis.
2.2 Post-Independence Scenario

For the initial year Indian Government focussed on the growth of the economy and industrial
sector. India was importing a lot of food grains to meet its requirements. Although The first
Five Year plan allocated 17% of the union budget to the agriculture sector, it didn't show any
results. The third plan setup fertilizer industries and irrigation facilities and focussed on
increasing the agricultural produce but much was not achieved as the plans were disturbed by
the Indo-China war 1962 and Indo-Pak war 1965 followed by a drought in 1967 which was a
result of shift of the economic resources to the war [5]. Until the fourth Five-year plan of 1969
focussed on the already initialized green revolution in small pockets of Punjab and had already
shown success. Norman Borlaug was invited to India by the adviser to the Indian Minister of
Agriculture Dr. M. S. Swaminathan. The Ford Foundation and Indian government collaborated
to import wheat seed from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
and used in Punjab, the Indus plains which had the optimum irrigation facilities and fertile soil.
Soon the rice production went up three times to 6 tons per hectare.

Steps Taken by the Indian Government

Norman Borlaug was invited to India by the adviser to the Indian Minister of Agriculture Dr.
M. S. Swaminathan in 1963. Norman was known as the father of the Green Revolution of the
world and Dr. M. S. Swaminathan is known as the father of the Indian Green Revolution. Since
the news of the early trials of the green revolution which were already started in Mexico in
early 1960s, reached the Indian government which was in dire need of such revolution. HYV
seeds were imported and Punjab, a north Indian state was chosen to try first with these seeds.
Punjab being the most fertile land rich with minerals and nutrients because of the five rivers
flowing through the state. According to the news archives, people irrespective of age, sex,
occupation and background used to stand in rows outside to get the seeds. However, the trials
of these seeds proved to be a great success. After which they were distributed song the farmers
of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh by 1970. The main focus was kept on Rice and wheat and other
major grains only. This is also a drawback of this revolution that other imported crops like
pulses, fruits and vegetables were not included under the revolution. Soon the revolution spread
to the entire country and godowns and storage facilities started to see a surplus in the annual
produce. From a grain imported and food deficit country India became a net exporter of the
food grains by early 1990s.

3. GREEN REVOLUTION
Green Revolution refers to the agricultural boom that happened in the middle twentieth
century all over the world, wherein after using certain technological advancements, the
agricultural produce went skyrocketing helping major developing countries fight hunger
and poverty like India. It started in Mexico in 1950.
In India, the Green Revolution happened in the late 1960s where the main focus was on the
major food grains like wheat, rice, corn, barley. The then government took necessary steps
in order to successfully undergo this mission in a poverty and hunger-stricken country
specially after independence when there was a dire need of such revolution. The long
imperial rule devastated the economic resources and cultural farming practices of the
farmers which were prominent then. With increasing population and worldwide pressure
of doing well in the initial years of an independent, unified, diverse and largest democratic
nation, India couldn't think of development before checking the hunger of the poor section
of the population.

Figure 1 The per capita net availability of food grains in India since 1951. Source: Source: Nelson et
al. (2019). Journal of Ethnic Foods [6]
4. CONTRIBUTIONS OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS IN AGRICULTURE

4.1 Pesticides & Fertilizers

When it comes to the wonders that chemical engineers have done in the field of agriculture,
pesticides and Fertilizers play a major role. While the green revolution provided the HYV seeds
to the farmers, the success was uncertain as these new seeds required more nutrients than
before, after one season the soil was left with very less amount of minerals and nutrients also,
they were less immune to all the worms and pests that were responsible for the perishment of
the cereal crops. Hence there was an urgent need for nutrient supplements and pesticides.
Hence this was the time when the production of the fertilizers and pesticides sky-rocketed. The
consumption of fertilizers went up to 12.7 Metric tons in 1992 from 0.8 MT in 1965. As of
today, there are 57 large fertilizer plants, 57 large sized plants and 64 medium and small sized
fertilizer production units. The main fertilizers being produced and used are Urea, DAP,
Complex fertilizer, Ammonium Sulphate (AS) and Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) [7].
India ranks third in fertilizer production all over the world.

However, on one side where these fertilizers are a boon for agriculture and have been a
backbone of the green revolution, there are many ill-effects of their usage and especially their
over usage. Fertilizers are like any other chemical compound which have the potential to react
with other compounds in their vicinity. Engineering and chemistry have given many ways to
use these compounds in the right amount so that we get the expected results and desired
products. But changing this amount would bring inside reactions and undesired results too.
This is what happened when farmers who have limited knowledge about the subject of the
fertilizers or even the harmful pesticides started using these chemicals. They were like magic
potions to them which yielded as much produce from the land as much amount they used. But
soon this over use resulted in severe change in soil composition and percolation in the
groundwater there by infusing the irrigation water with the pesticides and fertilizers. When this
water is consumed or the crops irrigated using this water are consumed, those chemicals into
the body and cause various diseases as shown in table 1. Hence there is a complete detailed list
of various pesticides which are banned in India and in other countries for use on crops.
 Table 1 Some major symptoms, disease and ecological impacts caused by the fertilizers and its by-
products.

4.2 Seed Treatment

Seed treatment is done to disinfect seeds and protect them from soil-borne or seed-borne
pathogenic microorganisms and storage insects. It is achieved using insecticides, fungicides or
a combination of both or biological organisms. This pre-processing of seeds before sowing
increases resistance against both biotic and abiotic stresses, promotes germination and overall
potential of crop growth [8]. The treatment with fungicides is done only for seeds meant for
planting purposes and not for consumption or other uses.

There are several methods that can be adopted to improve sowing efficiency such as -

(a) Pelleting: This method involves coating seeds with inert substances like lime, chalk or
talcum and growth promoters, oxidizing agents (e.g., CaO2), rhizobia etc. It enhances
shape, size and weight of the planting material and improves seedling vigour, germination
potential and immunity to diseases. It is mainly used for tiny or expensive seeds to facilitate
its handling, particularly useful for forest tree seeds and aerial sowing.

(b) Infusion: This treatment helps in slow penetration of useful substances in planting material
with the help of organic solvents, e.g., acetone or dichloromethane. The advantage of using
this method is that it doesn’t require long drying time usually 5-10 minutes are enough.
This is because organic solvents naturally evaporate after the infusion process is over. The
method can also be used for breaking the seed dormancy.
(c) Osmotic Priming: It is comparatively expensive treatment method but it is a required
process, particularly for large seeded legumes like peas, beans etc. They have high protein
content and large embryo and are susceptible to soaking injury as high protein seeds are
hygroscopic and hydrophilic in nature. Osmotic priming refers to the process of making the
seeds to imbibe water very slowly. Osmotic solutions that are mainly used are polyethylene
glycol or salt solutions like KNO3, NaCl, or K3PO4.

(d) Fluid Drilling: This method is applied for mechanical sowing of particularly the
germinated seeds. The seeds are coated with a jelly-like material called guar gel to provide
a buffer action that avoid damage of the germinated seeds during sowing. The steps
involved in the process are – (i) germination, (ii) separation of germinated and non-
germinated kernels, (iii) covering the germinated material with gel, and (iv) planting the
gel-covered material to the seedbed.

(e) Seed Fortification: This method supply nutrients to seeds and boost seedling vigour and
make them tolerant towards unfavourable soil environments. For example - seed
fortification with MnSO4 @ 0.5 to 1 % improves oxidation - reduction potential of seeds,
which ultimately leads to higher germination.

(f) Selection of Viable Seeds: This treatment helps to increase germination rates and crop
density by sorting out damaged or empty seeds. Sowing only viable material gives the
required number of plants in the field. The selection is done through testing based on
incubation-drying-separation, specific gravity, near-infrared spectroscopy, etc [9].

4.3 Preservatives
Post-harvest losses are the major factor that directly or indirectly affects the agricultural
produce and causes instability in prices. According to 2012 stats the production of food grains
mainly wheat, rice, pulses and coarse grains was 257 million tons, 75 million tonnes of fruits
and 149 million tonnes of vegetables in India. Out of these amounts, only 2.2 % of these were
processed. About 30-40 % of the fruits and vegetables grown in India get wasted annually. In
addition, 10 % post-harvest losses are reported in durables (cereals, pulses and oilseeds), 20
per cent losses in semi-perishables (Potato, onion, sweet potato, tapioca) and around 25 per
cent in products like milk, meat, fish and eggs every year [10]. This is mainly due to poor
infrastructure, insufficient cold storage capacity, unavailability of cold storages in close
proximity to farms, poor transportation infrastructure, etc. This poses a great challenge to meet
the growing demands. Preservatives could be a great solution to overcome this problem. They
do not alter the quality of food but helps to increase the shelf life by reducing the chances of
contamination and preventing chemical changes due to oxidation or mould growth. However,
they should be used in permitted levels to avoid harmful effects. Table 2 shows various types
of chemical preservatives used for food preservation [11].

Classification Examples Uses

Organic Acids Citric, succinic, malic, reduces pH, at low rates
tartaric, benzoic, lactic and discourage yeasts and mould
propionic acids. growth, at high rates, the
acids inhibit all microbial
activity.
Ammonia producing Anhydrous ammonia, urea acts as effective fungicide
compounds (prevents mould and yeast
growth), and removes
moisture

Inorganic acids Sulphuric acid, reduces pH & prevent

Orthophosphoric acid breakdown and losses
nutrients by reducing activity
of the plant's own enzymes,
and inhibiting microbial
activity.
Drying Agents Potassium carbonate, removes water and thereby
Sodium carbonate, Sodium reduces microbial activity.
chloride, Calcium chloride,
Magnesium chloride

Table 2 Classification of preservatives and their applications

5. EFFECTIVE USES OF STUBBLE

Every year around 500 million tons of crop residue commonly known as parali/stubble is
produced across India, of which 70% constitutes cereal crops mainly rice, wheat, maize and
millet [12]. To get rid of this waste, farmers set the fields on fire as it is the cheapest method
possible. Moreover, the period between the cultivation of paddy and wheat is limited (mainly
2 weeks) hence, it helps to clear the land quickly before the next cropping cycle. The stubble
burning begins in the month of October and peaks in November and is widely practised in the
states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. This causes major air pollution across various
regions of North India, mainly NCR. This year too, Punjab recorded 49,604 stubble-burning
cases between September 15 to November 23, which led Delhi’s air quality index to cross the
mark of 400 [13]. Apart from being the major contributor towards air pollution, it even deprives
the soil of its essential nutrients mainly nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) and
destroys important micro-organisms, making it less fertile. However, despite having so many
disadvantages it is still widely practised by Indian farmers every year.

Nevertheless, to mitigate stubble burning, chemical engineers and researchers have suggested
sustainable alternatives which can be adopted to reduce the environmental impact. These
methods will not only benefit the agricultural sector but will also help to minimize carbon
emissions and promote a circular economy.

5.1 Biochar
Biochar is a porous carbonaceous matter produced by burning biomass in the absence or limited
supply of oxygen with the help of pyrolysis. It appears like charcoal, and is lightweight, finely
grained and possess large surface area. It constitutes approximately 70% carbon and remaining
percentage includes hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur, oxygen and ash [14]. It is the most efficient
and stable form of carbon as it does not decompose easily and escape into the atmosphere and
is thus a great method for carbon sequestration. This helps to improve the soil fertility, water
and nutrient retention property as well as adds to biosolids, organic waste fertilizers and
improves crop rotation. It is also an excellent adsorbent which resembles the structure of
activated carbon, a great sorbent used worldwide for the removal of diverse pollutants.
However, biochar is low cost, and has lower energy requirements compared to activated
carbon. It can immobilise heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, prevent nitrate leaching and
faecal bacteria into waterways and reduce N2O and CH4 emissions from soil [15]. In a study,
the effects of biochar produced from five different agricultural and forestry wastes namely
olive stone, almond shell, wheat straw, pine woodchips, and olive-tree pruning on soil
properties and sunflower growth was evaluated. It was reported that the addition of biochar in
soil increased dissolved organic C (wheat-straw and olive-tree pruning biochar), available
phosphate (wheat-straw biochar), soil pH and EC, seed germination, and decreased soil nitrate
concentration in all cases [16].
Biochar can be generated either as a by-product of slow pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis to generate
bio-oil (great source of bioenergy) or gasification to generate syngas [17]. The specification of
each process and the composition of biochar, bio-oil and gas produced from these processes is
provided in Table 3. In addition to this, biogas which is another very good source of renewable
energy can be produced via anaerobic digestion of biomass which is discussed in detail in
section 5.3. A schematic showing the stepwise production of these products has been shown in
fig 2.

Table 3 Various modes of producing biochar and its specifications. Source: Joseph, S., Taylor, P., &
Cowie, A. (2018). Basic Principles and Practice of Biochar Production and Kiln Design [5].

Biochar can also be used as a clean fuel and an economical substitute for coal in thermal power
plants. The cofiring of biochar with coal can reduce 165 MT annual CO2 emissions from coal-
burning in thermal plants, about 14% of CO2 emissions by the energy sector and 7% of overall
CO2 emissions by India [18]. According to latest reports of Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy, 2022 there are more than 800 biomass-based power plants currently operational in
various states of India, with Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu being the
leading ones [19]. Although solar and wind energy has the largest renewable energy potential,
however it requires storage to maintain constant output, in that case biomass energy is more
reliable. Anand et al. investigated the biochar potential of crop residues from rice, wheat, maize
and sugarcane cultivation, which accounts for 89% of total agro production, for coal
replacement in thermal power plants. It was reported that biochar produced in the temperature
range of 400 °C–500 °C are suitable for cofiring with coal. 40 MT biochar produced from
121 MT of surplus residues obtained from the selected crops is equivalent to 69 MT of coal,
which accounts for about 11% of coal consumed annually in Indian thermal plants and had
90 TWh electricity generation potential [18].
Figure 2 Systematic representation of processes involved in Biochar, Bio-Oil, and Biogas production
from biomass. Source: Kumar et al. (2021). Journal of Cleaner Production, 305, 127143 [20].

5.2 Bioethanol
Bioethanol is one of the most efficient and promising source of carbon neutral biofuel and
alternative for fossil fuels. It is produced through ABE fermentation of mainly carbohydrates
produced in sugar or starch-bearing plants such as sugarcane, corn, wheat straw, sweet
sorghum or lignocellulosic biomass. The process involves four steps: 1) pre-treatment of
biomass to separate lignin and hemicellulose from cellulose as they decrease the potential yield
of bioethanol, 2) hydrolysis of cellulose using acid or enzymes to obtain fermentable sugars,
3) fermentation to convert sugars into ethanol using microorganisms, and 4) distillation and
purification of ethanol [21]. It can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but is usually
used as a gasoline additive. It can be mixed with gasoline in the volume fractions of 5, 10 and
85% (fuel names E5-E85). Fuel containing 85% bioethanol by volume can only be used in
flexible fuel vehicles (FFV), while mixtures of 5 and 10% by volume can be used without any
engine modifications. This bioethanol blended gasoline mixture serves as an important green
fuel substitute that is capable of providing improved brake power and higher thermal efficiency
in SI engine. In addition, bioethanol has a high-octane rating (108) compared to gasoline (88-
100) that enables high engine compression ratios which increases engine efficiency and
performance. The oxygen content of bioethanol is 35% which causes lower particulate matter
emissions (1.7×e12) during the combustion of fuel [22]. Some additional specifications of
gasoline and ethanol are mentioned in table 4.

Table 4 Specifications of gasoline and ethanol. Source: Bušić et al. (2018). Food technology and
biotechnology, 56(3), 289-311 [10].

Bioethanol is categorised as first (1G), second (2G) and third-generation (3G), based on the
source of feedstock used for the production. 1G bioethanol is produced from sugarcane and
corn seeds both of which are food sources. It is usually not suitable for countries where food
shortage is main concern. 2G ethanol is prepared using farm waste left over after harvest such
as rice husks, sugarcane bagasse, wheat straw and corn cobs that can be converted into cellulose
and hence fermented into ethanol. The 3G bioethanol is made from algae grown in wastewater,
salt water or sewage [23]. India is looking to achieve its E-20 target i.e., 20% ethanol blending
in petrol by 2025 with the help of 2G and 3G bioethanol production. At present the country
blends an estimate of 8.5% ethanol in petrol. India’s first 2G ethanol plant was setup in
Kashipur, Uttarakhand in 2016. Several more plants are planned to setup, to meet the E-20
target by 2025 which can reduce the crude oil imports and contribute towards making India
energy-independent nation by 2047. IOCL (Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.) has built its first
2G ethanol plant at Panipat Haryana this year. This 2G ethanol Bio-Refinery can process 2 lakh
tonnes of rice straw annually to generate around 3 crore litres of Ethanol using Praj’s
proprietary technology and is also setting up a 3G ethanol plant at Panipat of capacity 128
KLPD based on the gas fermentation technology [24]. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd
(BPCL) is setting up an integrated 2G and 1G bio-ethanol refinery at Bargarh, Odisha. The
refinery will increase the production capacity of ethanol to about 6 crore litres per annum. It
has a design production capacity of 100 KLPD of 2G ethanol using biomass as feedstock and
100 KLPD of 1G bio ethanol using rice grain as feedstock [25].

5.3 Bio-methanation
Bio-methanation or anaerobic digestion (AD) is an excellent route of transforming biomass
into biogas which is a great source of renewable energy by the action of many resilient
microbial population groups under anaerobic condition. There are three groups of
microorganisms that can be used in the process which includes fermenting bacteria,
methanogenic archaea, and organic acid oxidizing bacteria. The energy content of the biogas
produced through bio-methanation process is proportional to the CH4 content. It usually
contains between 40–75% CH4 which can be upgraded to natural gas quality (75–99% methane
content) and 25–60% CO2, besides other components in minor quantities such as H2, N2, NH3,
H2S, H2O and others trace organic and inorganic components [26]. Biogas can be used in diesel
engines, petrol engines as a fuel for cooking, in thermal power plant to produce electricity,
pumping of water, and as fuel for furnaces. The nitrogen content in the biomass slurry enhances
after anaerobic digestion compared to untreated animal manure, thus it can be used as organic
fertilizer. India at present has over five million biogas plants with Maharashtra having the
largest number with over 931 thousand plants as of March 2021 followed by Karnataka with
nearly 513 thousand plants [27]. Recently, Asia’s largest Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plant
was inaugurated in Sangrur, Punjab on 18th October, 2022. It has been set up across 20 acres
and commissioned with an FDI of 220 crores by Verbio AG one of the leading bioenergy
companies in Germany. The factory currently produces about 6 Tons Per Day (TPD) of CBG,
but soon it will use 8 digesters with a combined capacity of 10,000 cubic metres to process 300
tons of paddy straw each day [28]. In addition, India's first biogas-powered EV charging station
has been set-up at Haji Ali in Mumbai in August this year. The processing capacity of the biogas
plant is 2 Tons of organic waste per day, and on a daily basis it would need between 1 and 2 Tons
of wet waste to remain operational. This plant produces nearly 240 cubic meters of biogas in a
given day when at 100% capacity utilization, that can be used to charge up to 8 cars (like Tata
Nexon). The charger used is a “fast” charger that can complete a charger that can complete a
charge cycle in about 45 minutes [29].

6. CONCLUSION

Chemical engineers have always been a valuable asset for the growth of Indian Agriculture.
They combine other engineering skills and innovation that takes a strongly multidisciplinary
approach to agricultural problems. They have contributed enormously for national economic
development in the area of food production, improving shelf life, reducing spoilage, sustainable
agriculture, advanced food processing technology, employment opportunities, enhance quality
of life of farmers, innovation in food purification, sterilizing and packaging of perishable
products, genetically modified foods, natural resources conservation, reduction of drudgery in
agricultural work and food security. In the future the demands are only likely to increase with
the growing population. Hence, practicing precision farming with the introduction of modern
technology and inculcating chemical engineering principles can only help to sustain the
growing population. In addition, the production of renewable sources of energy via agricultural
waste has a great scope which is likely to scale up in near future.

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