Magazine: Fertilizer International

Fertilizer International presents a global round-up of current potash projects.

A proper fertilization programme is necessary to sustain both citrus productivity and soil fertility over the longer term. ICL agronomists Fabio Vale, William Wang, Patricia Imas and Francisco Morell outline the nutrient needs of citrus fruit – a regionally important crop in the Americas, Europe and China.

We report on fertilizer production, consumption and pricing in the US market. The country’s fertilizer industry, ranked fourth globally in terms of total production capacity, has grown and developed alongside its increasingly sophisticated domestic agricultural sector.

Citrus fruit growers are an attractive end-market for fertilizer suppliers due to the high K and N requirement of this widely-cultivated cash crop and the efficacy of fertigation and foliar spraying. We examine the nutrient needs of citrus trees and how balanced application of fertilizers helps maximise citrus fruit quality and yield.

The cadmium and heavy metal content of sedimentary phosphates are of great concern. This has seen industry raw material consumption shift towards igneous phosphates or the blending of phosphate rocks from different sources. While rock blending can successfully reduce the heavy metal content of superphosphates, it needs to be accompanied by careful process adjustments, as Ian Hancock , Bradley Pulverizer’s vice president sales & operations, explains.

Servicing the growth in electric vehicles powered by lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries could require the global purified phosphoric acid industry to double in size. Senior CRU consultant Wahome Muya explores the opportunities for unlocking growth in this emerging and fast-moving market.

Liquid fertilizers are prized because of their flexibility – especially the freedom to blend nutrients together to create customised products for growers. Dr Karl Wyant, Nutrien’s Director of Agronomy, offers guidance on compatibility and safety, two key concerns when blending and handling liquid fertilizers.

With the addition of Green Granulation technology (GGT), Casale is the only industry licensor able to provide customers with an entire nitrogen fertilizer complex. Ken Monstrey and Matteo Fumagalli of Casale outline the benefits of this technology and its revolutionary new elements.

Market Insight courtesy of Argus Media. Urea: Prices in general fell further in late October. Suppliers in most regions were forced to accept lower than expected net-backs due to low import demand and high producer inventories. India was the exception with IPL securing 1.7 million tonnes of urea at $400-404/t cfr under its 20th October tender.

Bruce Bodine will become the new CEO of The Mosaic Company from the 1st January 2024. He was unanimously elected by the company’s board of directors at the end of August. His appointment followed the announcement that the current CEO Joc O’Rourke will retire next year. Mr Bodine was also elected company president in August and appointed as a member of Mosaic’s board with immediate effect. He was previously the company’s SVP -North America.