Fertilizer International 497 Jul-Aug 2020
31 July 2020
Innovation showcase
PRODUCT INNOVATION
Innovation showcase
We profile a selection of innovative speciality products and agronomic technologies that have recently been brought to market.
Perstorp launches chloride-free liquid potassium fertilizer
Sweden’s Perstorp entered the fertilizer market in May with the launch of Amicult™ K42.
This chloride-free liquid potassium fertilizer has a high solubility and absorption rate, without increasing salinity or clogging foliar and drip irrigation systems. The product has a potassium content of 42 percent and is described by the company as an “organic Potassium salt dissolved in water”.
Specifically designed for fertigation and foliar application, Amicult will initially be available in Brazil, Chile, US and Europe.
“With high-salinity and arid agricultural land increasing, it’s time for more refined fertilizer options. Amicult offers a tested and proven chloride-free potassium based product. It is the smart way to increase profitability, improving crop yield and water use efficiency,” said Claudio Gaino, vice president for the Formates business unit at Perstorp.
The high solubility of Amicult makes it a good choice for drip irrigation systems. Being a liquid fertilizer, it can be applied at critical development stages where the crop needs an additional supply of potassium.
High chloride levels have a negative impact on crop development in agricultural regions where saline soils are an issue. Being a low salt index product, Amicult reduces the risk of adding to soil salinity.
Valuably, Amicult shows high foliar uptake efficiency under drought conditions. Its quick foliar uptake – at times when it is difficult to foresee frost – also help protect crops against frost damage.
“Years of innovation work has led to the discovery of the positive effects with Amicult K42. We are excited to now offer the market a chloride free fertilizer component that not only decreases salinity problems but has proven effect on higher yield and crop quality, and also improves drip irrigation efficiency”, says Martina Håkansson, the business development director for Formates at Perstorp.
World’s first polyhalite product
ICL Fertilizers recently switched all production at its UK Boulby Mine in North Yorkshire from muriate of potash (MOP) to Polysulphate, the world’s only commercially-available polyhalite product. ICL has successfully trialled Polysulphate as a low-chloride, multi-nutrient (sulphur, magnesium, potassium and calcium) fertilizer on a wide variety of crops, including barley, brassica, canola, coffee, oil palm, potatoes and wheat.
ICL offers a family of four polyhalite products as part of its new FertlizerpluS line of premium fertilizers:
- Straight Polysulphate in granular or powder form
- The ICL PKpluS range of PK (phosphorus and potassium) granular fertilizers containing Polysulphate
- ICL PotashpluS, a granular fertilizer formulated from a combination of MOP (KCl) and Polysulphate
- Polysulphate Premium, uniform, round-shape Polysulphate.
Polysulphate contains:
- 48 percent SO3 as sulphate
- 14 percent K2O as potassium sulphate
- 6 percent MgO as magnesium sulphate
- 17 percent CaO as calcium sulphate
Applying Polysulphate ensures a continual supply of sulphur to crops throughout the growing cycle, and reduces the risk of sulphur leaching in sandy soils, especially under high rainfall conditions. It also provides magnesium to support crop yield and quality. This is becoming ever more important as soil magnesium deficiency is becoming increasingly widespread.Granular Polysulphate (2-4mm) has excellent spreading characteristics and is an ideal fertilizer to apply alongside straight nitrogen. Polysulphate, being a natural mineral, has been approved for organic agriculture in different countries (Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Poland, the Netherlands, the UK and the US).
ICL PKpluS, produced at the company’s plants in Amsterdam and Ludwigshafen in Germany, allows the application of P and K to be separated from nitrogen applications. By avoiding N overdosing or leaching, the use of PKpluS improves nitrogen use efficiency and helps prevent costly and environmentally-damaging nitrogen losses. PKpluS is also a cost effective PK fertilizer for nitrogen-fixing legumes, such as soybean, peas and alfalfa, which require no additional nitrogen fertilization.
ICL PotashpluS has a much lower chloride level than MOP due to its Polysulphate component. Its sulphur content also meets the fertilization requirements of crops with high sulphur demand, such as canola, wheat, legumes and grassland. In addition to supplying potassium (37% K2O), PotashpluS supplies sulphur (9% S) in sulphate form for protein and oil formation, magnesium (3% MgO) for photosynthesis, and calcium (8% CaO) for strong, high-quality crops – all in the same application. It also contains boron.
Polysulphate Premium consists of uniform, robust spheres of Polysulphate that blend easily with other granulated fertilizers. Its smooth surface protects against abrasion, humidity and damage. While its spherical shape provides a steady flow rate and a consistent broad spread during field application.
CENTURO – next-generation nitrogen inhibitor
Koch Agronomic Services (Koch) is part of Koch Industries, Inc., a privately held company based in Wichita, Kansas. Koch and its affiliates produce and market a proven and expanding global portfolio of plant performance technologies for agriculture producers and the turf and ornamental sector.
CENTURO™ is Koch’s next-generation nitrification inhibitor for use with anhydrous ammonia and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN). This innovative new product from Koch combines two distinct advantages:
- Firstly, it incorporates the patented active ingredient Pronitridine to provide highly effective below-ground nitrogen protection.
- Secondly, it also offers unrivalled flexibility as an easy-to-handle solution that is noncorrosive to the metals used with UAN and anhydrous ammonia equipment.
The launch of CENTURO in July 2018 was a milestone moment, as it marked the first time in more than 40 years that a nitrification inhibitor received registration from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Koch made CENTURO available in Canada from September 2019.
CENTURO was developed in-house by a team of chemists at Koch in the US. It was created specifically to help farmers and the agriculture industry – and more generally society as a whole – meet the challenges of increasing food production while minimising the associated environmental impacts.
“At Koch, we know that feeding the estimated nine to 10 billion people by year 2050 will require more food to be grown on roughly the same amount of land used for farming today,” said Steve Coulter, the company’s senior vice president. “The agriculture industry needs to continually innovate in all areas of the value chain. Our teams around the globe have that in mind as they work towards tomorrow’s solutions.”
CENTURO is an important tool for protecting a farmer’s investment in nitrogen fertilizer from leaching and denitrification losses. As a nitrification inhibitor, CEN-TURO slows the conversion of ammonium to nitrate, making it less susceptible to environment loss and helping keep the nitrogen in the root zone for plant and crop uptake. In fact, US research has shown that CENTURO will hold nitrogen in ammonium form three times longer than without an inhibitor.
The use of CENTURO on nitrogen in agriculture also supports the implementation of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship initiative. CENTURO – by helping to keep applied nitrogen in the right place and available at the right time – helps protect the nitrogen so it remains there when the crop needs it most. Following the 4R nitrogen management framework is an important way of helping farmers optimise crop yield potential and profitability.
4Rs Nutrient Stewardship is an innovative and science-based approach that offers enhanced environmental protection, higher production, increased farmer profitability, and improved sustainability. The concept is to use the right fertilizer source, at the right rate, at the right time, with the right placement.
CENTURO exemplifies Koch’s commitment to creating real, sustainable, long-term value for customers and society, according to the company, and its focus on developing customer-driven solutions that maximise plant performance and minimise environmental impact.
Compass and Marrone Bio Innovation joins forces
Compass Minerals and Marrone Bio Innovations unveiled a new collaboration on biofertilizers last year.
The two companies are joining forces to develop new speciality plant nutrient products enhanced with microorganisms. The plan is to bring patented technologies to market and create innovative products to enhance plant health and growth. The new products will increase crop health and reduce crop stress by enabling crops to take up nutrients more efficiently.
The collaboration will combine Marrone Bio’s access to a collection of 18,000 novel microorganisms with Compass Minerals’ expertise in speciality plant nutrition. By improving plant vigour, the re sulting value-added products should provide growers with higher crop yields and a better return on investment.
Microorganisms are known to control pests and plant diseases and improve the health, growth and yields of crops. They also reduce drought stress, salt stress and other environmental stresses.
Importantly, by making major nutrients and micronutrients more available, microbes are known to increase nutrient uptake efficiency and improve plant growth. This helps farm profitability and the environment by reducing excess nutrients.
“Compass Minerals Plant Nutrition is excited to have access to the rich collection of Marrone Bio’s microorganisms that have shown the ability to improve plant health and growth,” said Ryan Bartlett, vice president of innovation and product development at Compass Minerals. “This collaboration is an important one as we continue to expand our… plant nutrition portfolio… with this unique line of products.”
“[With] our combined technologies and core competencies, we look forward to working with Compass Minerals Plant Nutrition as a partner in the development of exciting new products that don’t exist in the market today,” added Pam Marrone, CEO of Marrone Bio.
The new InnoSolve range from Innovar Ag
Innovar Ag is probably best known for its pioneering work on stabilized nitrogen fertilizers (SNFs) in many countries globally. Without proper protection, more than 50 percent of nitrogen fertilizers applied to plants will be lost to the environment as a result of complex soil reactions. The Neon family of products are the latest advance in this arena from Innovar Ag. These products are designed to protect against nitrogen losses, both above and below ground.
Having designed products that prevent nitrogen losses, Innovar Ag next turned its attention to other essential mineral nutrients in crop systems. The result was InnoSolve PKMe. This synthetic biodegradable polymer fertilizer additive addresses the need to increase crop uptake of macro nutrients and micronutrients. InnoSolve PKMe does this by preventing nutrients from becoming locked within soils – due to extreme pH levels, complexation with soil organic matter and other mechanisms.
Environmental stresses and competition within complex agricultural systems are a particular threat to crop growth and yield. Plants can use energy – that would otherwise go into crop development – to protect themselves against pests, weeds, diseases, extreme temperatures and unbalanced water supply. These all generate different types of plant stress. Innovar Ag launched the following three new biostimulant products in June 2020 to address such challenges and support best management practices in crop production:
- InnoSolve Amino: This amino acid product works at plant physiology level by increasing chlorophyll production, stimulating growth and boosting energy to support plant reactions at various crop development stages. The key for amino acid products is to finding a specific source, preferably of vegetable origin, without contaminants in the formulation.
- InnoSolve Gold: This phosphite-based product enables the plant to defend itself, from both biotic and abiotic stresses, by employing SAR (systemic acquired resistance) responses. It introduces to the market a new category of phosphite, complexed with amino acids, able to provide superior water solubility and a fast response.
- InnoSolve Silicon: This product contains a silicon polymer (40% Si) derived from silicic acid. It increases stress tolerance through cell walls by strengthening and thickening cuticles. The chemical/ physical barriers that plants acquire once treated with this product improve disease and pest resistance. Lower transpiration also reduces water usage, helping crops reach target yields even when water supply is restricted. InnoSolve Silicon also helps plants avoid aluminium, iron and manganese toxicity.
These new products are useful tools for fine-tuning fertilization programmes. This wider portfolio allows Innovar Ag and its partners to promote a 4R nutrient stewardship approach for evaluating crop conditions, customise best management practices and improve crop results for farmers.
Yara turns smartphones into nitrogen sensors
A new innovation from Yara International allow farmers to measure crop nitrogen requirements using their smartphones. The company launched the new precision farming tool, known as YaraIrix, in March last year.
Nitrogen analysis has traditionally required expensive equipment beyond the reach of most growers. Yara’s aim in introducing the new tool is to make precision farming accessible to all farmers.
YaraIrix includes a free-to-download app available for both Android and Apple’s iOS. The app uses the smartphone’s camera to determine the nitrogen demand of different crops in the early stages of growth. For measuring nitrogen demand during later growth stages, the app requires an additional N-Tester hardware device. This is available as either a smartphone clip-on, or as a separate Bluetooth-enabled device.
“Every field is different. By enabling farmers to simply use their smartphones for precision farming, YaraIrix is a game-changer that can ultimately provide millions of farmers with new insight about their crops,” commented Stefan Fürnsinn, Yara’s senior vice president for digital farming.
He added: “We are now taking the first steps with the launch of YaraIrix across Europe. With access to precise data about the nutritional needs of crops, we can produce more food and reduce the environmental impact of farming at the same time.”
YaraIrix works by measuring chlorophyll levels using a smartphone camera combined with one of two hardware devices. This enables precise measurements of the nitrogen needs of crops – making it easier for the farmer to apply the correct amount of fertilizer.
The app – without any additional hardware – can determine the nitrogen needs of winter wheat, oilseed rape, maize and barley during early growth stages. After making its measurement, the app provides an instant recommendation about how much fertilizer the crops need. This recommendation is based on algorithms and knowledge accumulated over more than 20 years of field research.
The app can be supplemented with the N-Tester Clip. This add-on device clips over the smartphone camera, transforming it into a nitrogen sensor for precise nitrogen recommendations at later growth stages. Farmers will initially receive a beta version of the N-Tester Clip prior to its formal market launch.
Farmers also have the choice of purchasing the N-Tester BT device for YaraIrix. This connects to smartphones via Bluetooth to provide nitrogen recommendations for crops in later growth stages. N-Tester BT is suitable for winter and spring barley, winter rye and winter triticale, as well as the previously mentioned crop types. It also saves historical data, improving the ability of farmers to make the right nitrogen recommendations.
Nutrien offers customers xarvio digital farming app
Nutrien’s North American retail arm, Nutrien Ag Solutions, is now offering BASF’s xarvioSCOUTING™ app to its customers.
The decision to provide access to this leading agronomic tool, announced in June last year, is part of a wider digital collaboration between the Colorado-headquartered farm retailer and the Agricultural Solutions division of BASF.
Providing BASF’s xarvioSCOUTING™ app will enable Nutrien’s farm customers to detect and identify weed and pest pressure as they monitor and protect crops during the growing season. The potential for offering the agronomic capabilities of BASF’s xarvioField Manager™ are also being actively explored. This app offers crop protection advice, including timings and variable rate map applications, for managing weeds, diseases and pests.
“These tools help improve growers’ results and we’re excited to be able to feature the xarvioSCOUTING™ app,” said Sol Goldfarb, vice president for digital strategy at Nutrien Ag Solutions.
“We are proud to have the xarvioSCOUTING™ app featured on the Nutrien Ag Solutions customer portal and to explore the agronomic intelligence of xarvioField Manager,” ™ added Paul Rea, senior vice president for BASF Agricultural Solutions, North America. “Through our work together, BASF… and Nutrien Ag Solutions can help change the industry by providing growers with the products, services and now digital tools to support their success.”
Nutrien also expanded its digital agriculture services through the acquisition of Agrible Inc for $63 million in September 2018.
Agrible markets a broad range of digital agronomic products for farmers. They include Morning Farm Report® , Spray Smart® , Nutrient Engine® and Find My Seed.® The Illinois-based company has around 17,000 customers who collectively farm around 11 million acres in total.
“Agrible has developed a very impressive set of digital agronomic and sustainability tools which can be immediately incorporated into our existing digital platform,” said Mike Frank, president of Nutrien Ag Solutions. “We are excited to welcome Agrible’s talented team to Nutrien Ag Solutions’ digital organization and to expand our presence into Champaign, Illinois, “ Frank added.
“Agrible has dedicated its business strategy to building market-leading digital tools that provide growers with the information and insights they need, when and where they need them,” said Paul Miller, chief science officer & co-founder of Agrible. “This exciting combination with Nutrien Ag Solutions is the ultimate validation of our strategy and the ideal platform to significantly scale-up the capabilities that we have built.”
DNA tagging of fertilizers
The need to establish iron-clad traceability all the way along agricultural and food supply chains is becoming increasingly clear and urgent. While the detection of adulteration is an important issue, safety and security are the most pressing concerns driving the introduction of traceability for fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate (AN).
In response to domestic car bomb attacks four years ago, the Turkish government introduced a ban on the sale and distribution of AN-based fertilizers in June 2016 – until an effective tracking system was established. Subsequently, in January 2018, Turkey became the first country globally to mandate DNA tagging of all locally produced and imported AN-based fertilizers. This government mandate required the full implementation of a number of requirements, including DNA tagging, secure packaging, and a code registry system that allows the contents of each bag of AN to be traced to its source.
Part of the solution was the deployment of ground-breaking D-ART 3000 DNA tagging systems from Californian technology company SafeTraces. These systems provide state-of-the-art traceability and have already been deployed at fertilizer manufacturing plants in Europe and the Middle East.
The company’s innovative DNA tagging technology can be seamlessly integrated into manufacturing lines for products of any size, solid or liquid, including a wide range of agricultural inputs. Once applied, the DNA tracer provides an unbreakable link between the physical product and its digital blockchain-secured certificate. An easy-to-use barcode reading system identifies the DNA tracer and can recover information on the origin of the product at any point in the supply chain.
The SafeTraces D-ART 3000 system combines up to 32 DNA sequences to produce a practically unlimited number of unique safeTracers™ DNA barcodes. Each safeTracers™ solution is sprayed onto the product as it is packaged while production information is simultaneously recorded in a blockchain-secured database.
Each unique DNA barcode consists of short (<100 base pair) non-living, non-viable DNA sequences encapsulated in food-grade materials. These include gums, resins, proteins, and lipids such as carrageenan, albumin, and soy lecithin. All formulations are GRAS – ‘generally recognized as safe’ by the US Federal Drug Administration – and have no impact on product quality, shelf life or taste. safeTracers™ can be formulated for granular products, such as fertilizers and grains, as well as for product coatings and liquid products.
Once safeTracers™ are on the product, they are invisible and cannot be removed or adulterated, locking in a level of traceability that package labelling cannot provide. The DNA barcodes are detectable only with the matching DNA barcode reading system. This comprises a small portable reader, an easyto-use test kit and authorised access to the database. The time taken from sampling the product to identifying and confirming a match for the DNA barcode takes no more than 15 minutes. For certain commodities, the system is also capable of detecting if dilution or adulteration has occurred by measuring changes in the DNA tracer concentration.
For ammonium nitrate, the stability of safeTracers™ has been tested in the laboratory at room temperature under ‘worst case’ chemical conditions. Results show that DNA barcode formulations were stable for the equivalent of two years. The integrity of the system – i.e. the probability that the complete system will correctly identify a DNA barcode applied to a product lot – has also been rigorously tested and shown to be 99.4-99.9 percent accurate.
