Punjab has started field trials to assess if green ammonia can be used as an alternative to urea fertilizer. The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Sangrur, of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, is conducting field trials under its ongoing ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ to assess the potential of green ammonia as an alternative to urea fertilizer in wheat.Talking to The Tribune, Dr. Mandeep Singh, in charge of PAU-KVK, Sangrur, said the evaluation in Sangrur district was being conducted exclusively through on-farm testing (OFT). The trials are a joint initiative of the ICAR–Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI), Zone I, Ludhiana, and PAU-KVK, Sangrur. Dr. Singh said the trials would assess how effectively green ammonia supplies nitrogen to wheat and how its use affects crop growth and grain yield under field conditions.“The findings would help determine whether green ammonia is suitable for use in wheat before any recommendation is considered,” he explained.Dr. Singh, however, clarified that “PAU has not recommended the use of green ammonia” in wheat. He urged farmers to continue following the university’s existing recommendations for nitrogen management in wheat and to refrain from using green ammonia as a substitute for urea at this stage.The field trials are vital for a state like Punjab, which faces a shortage of urea, applied to the wheat sown on 35 lakh hectares in Punjab every season. According to the information, Punjab needs 5 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of urea for the rabi marketing season and usually faces a shortage of around 1.25 LMT initially, before supplies are restored around December and January.The allocation by the Centre is done month-wise.