Big environmental role proven for new nitrogen fertiliser
It’s a major finding in light of the EU commitment to reduce GHG emissions 20% by 2020, compared to 2004 levels.
Over the last three years, Teagasc, and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Northern Ireland have together investigated agricultural emissions, and how to reconcile farm production and environmental targets.
Announcing their results, Patrick Forrestal, Teagasc Johnstown Castle, said: “The project found that switching from CAN to urea with the urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) reduced direct GHG emissions associated with fertiliser application by 73% on average in grassland.
“Treating urea fertiliser with NBPT also reduced ammonia losses, by up to 78.5%.”
CAN is currently the most widely used straight fertiliser N source in Ireland.
Karl Richards of the research team said: “This exciting research has highlighted that switching from CAN to urea treated with NBPT saves the farmer money, while simultaneously maintaining yields and nitrogen use efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
It was also found that CAN and NBPT-treated urea consistently produced similar yields and N off-take in grassland and spring barley.
However, untreated urea had lower fertiliser N recovery, and therefore lower efficiency than both NBPT treated urea and CAN.
NBPT reduced ammonia volatilisation from urea fertiliser by 78.5%.
As a result, NBPT-treated urea is approximately equivalent to CAN in terms of ammonia loss. (EU states have also committed to reduce emissions of ammonia, which is an air pollutant.) NBPT-treated urea is generally less expensive than CAN, noted researchers.
With about 32% of Ireland’s total greenhouse gas emissions attributed to Irish agriculture, the finding that replacing CAN with stabilised urea reduces emissions, while maintaining farm production, as welcomed by Advanced Fertilizers Ltd, which supplies the stabilised nitrogen fertiliser used in the research trials, and which is available in Ireland under the Koch Advanced Nitrogen fertiliser brand name.
Mike Shields, general manager of Advanced Fertilizers Ltd, said: “Farmers are largely shouldering the burden of increasing yields, while reducing emissions.
“Food Wise 2025 established the plan to grow agricultural exports while reducing environmental impact.
“Today, the Teagasc and AFBI results confirm that a simple switch to Koch Advanced Nitrogen fertiliser can help achieve the Food Wise 2025 goals.
“It is also an opportunity for all stakeholders in Origin Green and those committed to high quality and low emission food production.”
“An additional benefit of Koch Advanced Nitrogen fertiliser is the higher concentration of nitrogen.”
He explained that because it contains 70% more nitrogen than CAN, less tonnes of fertiliser are required to be moved and spread. This means that the cost of applying nitrogen fertiliser is reduced.
Advanced Fertilisers Ltd was formed by Arvum Group to market and distribute Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser in Ireland.
Advanced Fertilisers Ltd is based at Arvum Group headquarters in Waterford.
