Specialty fertilizer products represent a small volume, high value segment of the overall fertilizer market that’s been growing at around four percent per annum in recent years. Economic, environmental, regulatory and agronomic imperatives are driving up their adoption – and an overall shift from volume to value in the fertilizer market.
ICL has developed a new generation of rapid biodegradable coatings for its controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) portfolio. The new coating technology reduces the environmental footprint of CRFs and will help farmers meet the requirements of Europe’s Green Deal. This patented innovation, named eqo.x, coats nitrogen fertilizers for field grown crops. Eqo.x has already been fully tested in the field – and shows excellent results in terms of production, nutrient use efficiency, volatilisation and leaching reduction. Ronald Clemens, ICL Global Marketing & Portfolio Manager CRF, explains the benefits.
Applying dissolved fertilizers via micro-irrigation systems or leaf sprayers offers commercial fruit and vegetable growers clear-cut gains – in terms of input costs, nutrient use efficiency, labour, time and energy.
CF Industries announced several interlinked board changes in mid-October. Current chair Stephen Furbacher is to retire at the company’s annual stockholders meeting in May next year. In a coordinated move, the board elected Stephen Hagge – currently an independent director of CF Industries – as Mr Furbacher’s successor with effect from the start of January 2022. The board also elected John Eaves, another independent director and the executive chairman of Arch Resources, as incoming chair of the company’s compensation and management development committee. He is taking over this role from the committee’s former chair Mr Hagge. This appointment also takes effect from the beginning of 2022.
Improvements to nutrient use efficiency (NUE), particularly for nitrogen, can deliver dual environmental and economic benefits. We report on recent developments in nitrogen management and global progress on NUE.
A selection of innovative products and technologies that have recently been brought to market.
Magnesium, a key constituent of chlorophyll, plays a vital role in plant photosynthesis and carbohydrate production. Commercial sources of this essential crop nutrient include Epsom salt, kieserite, langbeinite, magnesium chloride and magnesium nitrate.
Maya Rehill of Anglo American Crop Nutrients discusses the latest crop trial findings for the polyhalite product POLY4 with the company’s regional agronomists. These highly positive trial results add to an already extensive evidence base on POLY4’s crop benefits.
We report on the latest potash mining and processing technology from Andritz, Ebner, Köppern, K+S and Veolia. Recent case studies for potash projects globally are also provided.
Illinois-headquartered CF Industries has made a long-term commitment to low-carbon ammonia production and net-zero emissions.