Tag: NPK

Crop residues are the plant materials that are left in the field after the harvested portion is removed. Many growers are increasingly valuing these materials due to their nutrient content and soil health benefits. Dr Karl Wyant, Nutrien’s Director of Agronomy, highlights the value of crop residues and discusses how to manage these more effectively without interfering with on-farm activities. Ag retailers, in particular, are well-placed to advise growers on how to unlock value from their residues.

We profile leading European NPK fertilizer producers. Major ownership changes have taken place within the EU during the last three years. Europe’s NPK producers have also needed to adjust their raw material sourcing in response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Market Insight courtesy of Argus Media. Urea: While prices mostly fell in mid-August, the main development was the massive purchase of Chinese urea by Indian Potash Limited. IPL confirmed that, out of a total tender settlement of 1.759 million tonnes, one million tonnes will be met by Chinese exporters. This far exceeded expectations and added to the already bearish sentiment of most market players.

The use of low-chloride fertilizers is a proven strategy for managing chloride sensitivity in crops and avoiding excess chloride in soils. ICL offers a wide range of crop nutrient products for this purpose. Patricia Imas, agronomist at the company, outlines the main options.

Market Insight courtesy of Argus Media. Urea: There was a general price upswing for both urea and ammonium nitrate in mid-June, while ammonium sulphate and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) prices remained weak. Urea prices were pushed up in most regions as traders sought to secure cargoes across the globe – resulting in granular urea deals from the Baltic ($260-280/t f.o.b.), Egypt ($312-335/t f.o.b.), Middle East ($253-280/t f.o.b.) and China ($308-310/t f.o.b.).

Tree nuts are an important dietary source of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Orchards require balanced fertilization to promote healthy root growth, maintain tree vigour, and achieve yield targets in response to growing market demand. ICL agronomists Cristian Filote, Gali Carmi and Patricia Imas review their nutrient needs.

An overview of the very latest in fertilizer handling and blending, including new contracts, company news and advances in technology.

Market Insight courtesy of Argus Media. Urea: Scarcity continued to drive urea prices higher in some markets at the end of April. The US market remains short on urea and prices spiked to reflect this. Nola barges for April were trading as high as $450/st f.o.b. ($490/t cfr), 55 percent up on this year’s low point. Southeast Asia remains short on urea too, amid planned and unplanned turnarounds, with one cargo trading at around $345/t f.o.b.

Blended and compound NPK fertilizers are a mainstay of many markets globally. We review the main production technology options.

Market Insight courtesy of Argus Media. Urea: Prices fell in most global markets in early March as suppliers chased limited demand. Although India’s purchase tender has yet to formally conclude, IPL looks set to book 1.15 million tonnes of urea at $330-334.8/t cfr, with traders mainly sourcing from Russian and Middle Eastern producers.