
Micronutrients – their unquestionable crop benefits
Dr Setareh Jamali Jaghdani and professor Jóska Gerendás of K+S Group outline how micronutrient management, by positively influencing plant physiology and development, helps maximise crop yields.
Dr Setareh Jamali Jaghdani and professor Jóska Gerendás of K+S Group outline how micronutrient management, by positively influencing plant physiology and development, helps maximise crop yields.
The newly-patented SWIFT process is designed to sequester fluorine at phosphoric acid plants in an environmentally responsible way. It can also offset the costs of fluorine management by generating a saleable dicalcium phosphate (DCP) end-product as an additional revenue stream. A number of capex and opex advantages provide the SWIFT process with highly favourable economics, as James Byrd of JESA Technologies explains.
We highlight recent innovations, including fertilizers recovered from industrial residues, novel controlled-release coatings, and products that incorporate biological components designed to benefit both crop nutrition and soil heath.
Sulphur plays an important role in crop nutrition. Indeed, sulphur is increasingly being recognised as the fourth major crop nutrient alongside N, P and K. However, a combination of intensive agricultural practices, increasing application of high-analysis fertilizers and tighter air quality regulations has led to increasing sulphur deficiency in soils. In this insight article, CRU’s Peter Harrisson looks at what’s driving sulphur deficiency and whether there’s a gap in the market for sulphur fertilizers.
Urease and nitrification inhibitors are cost efficient and easy to implement solutions for improving the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of urea ammonium nitrate (UAN). The use of inhibitors enables farmers to substantially reduce nitrogen losses and achieve their environmental targets, explains Thomas Profitt , Syensqo’s Global Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Manager, while improving crop yields and generating a positive return on investment.
Sulphur is a necessary nutrient for strong and healthy plant-growth and disease resistance. Fertipaq manufactures the liquid suspension fertilizer S-600 using sulphur recovered wastewater and biogas streams. This organic product is an ideal nutrient source for crops with a high sulphur requirement.
OCP Group and Fortescue subsidiary Fortescue Energy have announced a 50:50 joint venture (JV) to supply green hydrogen, ammonia and fertilizers to Morocco, Europe and international markets.
KBR designs and builds customised phosphoric acid purification plants tailored to the individual demands of clients. Christopher Heikkilä, KBR’s Business Development Manager, outlines the process design requirements and the challenges associated with impurities removal.
RNZ Group is positioning itself as the most innovative and sustainable fertilizer producer in the UAE. In partnership with Shell, the company has been manufacturing sulphur-enhanced fertilizers using Thiogro technology since the end of 2022. Raza Soomar , RNZ’s managing director, provides an overview of the company and highlights recent business successes.
Fertilizers will always be fundamental to food production, but they will also have to be low emissions, environmentally friendly and support healthy soils. In this article, Dr Alexander Schmitt, Chief Marketing Officer, Anglo American Crop Nutrients, explains how polyhalite meets all three of these criteria – while also helping to increase the quantity and quality of food a farmer can produce.