FACT CHECK UREA01

Urea – World fertiliser No. 1with growing intelligence

Urea is in the very nature of many organisms and is widespread in the environment. As

this organic compound is excreted by humans and mammals as a metabolic end product and it is once again available to the nutrient cycle. In the case of humans it is around 30 grams per day. Therefore something which is inside us cannot do us any harm. On the contrary: pure urea is a white, crystalline, non-toxic and hygienically safe substance.

It also has a significant impact. Due to its high nitrogen content urea is the most important nitrogen fertiliser worldwide. In agriculture it is also used as a feed additive. Furthermore, urea plays an important role in the chemical industry. For example, it is used for the production of resin and melamine. So it can be found in our everyday life in the form of adhesives and paint, in furniture chipboard

or in the form of melamine as, among other things, coating on our banknotes. Each of us probably have urea in our mouths every day. It is contained in many hygiene products, for ex-ample, in toothpaste and in many skin creams due to its hygroscopic characteristics. Urea is also used for the denitrification of waste gas from power stations and vehicles.

But where does all the urea come from? Don’t worry, it doesn’t come from our excrement. Urea is manufactured industrially in large quantities. Large plants which under increased pressure and high temperatures fromnatural gas, water and air, produce urea via the intermediate stage ammonia. Urea is then tur-ned into a solution and is finally transformed, via several process stages, into so-called prills or granules. The largest plants in the world pro-duce around 4,000 tonnes of urea per day.

Urea – a natural product.

Y

Nitrogen production worldwide

Nitrogen fertiliser – Worldwide consumption

[Source: International Fertilizer Industry Association IFA]

[Source: International Fertilizer Industry Association IFA]

Facts & Figures

60.000

40.000

20.000

0

2009 2008 2007

57,4in%UREA

NPK FERTILISER

OTHER N FERTILISER

AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE

AMMONIUM NITRATEAHL

AM

MONIA

KASAM

MO

NIUM SU

LPHATE

OTH

ER NP FERTILISER

NK FERTILISER

67.

762

65

.14

9

64

.00

4

KAS KAS

KAS

Ammonium nitrate

Ammonium nitrate

Ammonium nitrate

AHL

AHL

AHL

Ur

ea

Ur

ea

Ur

ea

Nitrate Ammonium sulphate NPK fertiliser

Kil

oto

ns

N /

Ye

ar

2 3

Development of urea consumption

[Source: Fertecon Limited][Source: IFA Production and International Trade Committee - Dec. 2010]

1993 2010 2014

[Source for 1993: British Sulphur Consultants Outlook Urea 1993-1999] [Sources for 2010 and 2014: IFA annual conference Paris 2010]

78

.00

0

151

.00

0

174

.00

0

Facts & Figures Facts & Figures

IFFC

OYa

raSi

nope

cCF

Indu

strie

sSA

FCO

NFL

Kalti

mAg

rium

Gro

up D

FPu

sri

Engr

o Ch

emic

alPa

kist

an, D

ahar

ki

Yara

The

Net

herla

nds,

Slui

skil

QAF

COQ

atar

, Mes

saie

ed

Pequ

iven

Vene

zuel

a, M

oron

Sorf

ert A

lger

ieAl

geria

, Arz

ew

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

TOP 10 urea producersworldwide

5.000

3.750

2.500

1.250

0

1300

975

650

325

0K

ilo

to

n P

ro

du

ct /

Ye

ar

KILOTONS P

RODUCT

Kil

oto

ns

Pr

od

uc

t

Kil

oto

ns

Pr

od

uc

t

Kil

oto

ns

Pr

od

uc

t

Development of additional urea capacity 2011

Ind

ia/O

ma

n

Eu

ro

pe

/C

an

ad

a/Q

ata

r

Ch

ina

4 5

Farmers are once again buying more fertiliser and urea is regaining its market share. The sale of nitrogen fertiliser in Germany is increasing. As the Federal Office of Statistics in Wiesbaden reported, around 912,000 t of nitrogen were sold between July and December 2010, which is around 12 percent more than the previous year.

Urea recorded a considerable increase in quantity of around 30 percent in the period under review.

However, nitro-chalk (KAS) did not escape unscathed. Loss of production in various European factories led, between July and December 2010 of the current fertiliser financial year 2010/11 (July/June), to a decline in sales of KAS of around 11 percent to 345,000 t N.

++ Fertiliser sales in Germany are growing ++

[Source: Fertecon Limited]

TOP 10 urea producers in Europe

Gro

up D

FYa

ra

Azot

Nov

omos

kovs

kZA

PSK

W P

iest

eritz

Gro

dno

Ache

ma

TOAZ OPZ

Euro

chem

++FA

ITS

++FA

ITS

++

Facts & Figures

[Source: agrarzeitung online, Issue 10 March 2011]

Kil

oto

n P

ro

du

ct /

Ye

ar

3.000

2.250

1.500

750

0

Y While 70 percent of nitrogen emissions can be attributed to traffic and heating – which cause the highest cost to society – in the period from 1990 to 2007 greenhouse gas emissions through EU agriculture were reduced by 20 percent.

Y Alongside the less positive effects of nitrogen on the environment, this nutrient made an important contribution to the security of the supply of foodstuffs in Europe and to efficient and productive agri-culture.

Y Furthermore, the use of fertiliser in the EU was reduced by 18 per-cent from 2002 to 2010.

Y 85% of the sources of NH3 emissions from agriculture originate from

animal production and just 15% from the use of mineral fertilisers.

Y The comparably high fertiliser N efficiency of the different N forms (KAS, AHL, urea) is an indication that NH

3- emissions from urea can-

not be as high as is currently being discussed.

Y The analysis of the DEFRA study (UK; 2005) demonstrates, alongside technically unexplainable contradictions, that data which shows low NH

3 loss were not taken into account. Consequently, the validity of

the study as part of the NH3 discussion is more than questionable.

++ “Nitrogen Report”, 04/2011, Edinburgh ++

++ Nitrogen and the environment ++

Uk

ra

ine

, E

sto

nia

Ne

th

er

la

nd

s, G

er

ma

ny, It

aly

Ru

ss

ia

6 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Facts & Figures

Chamber of Agriculture Lower SaxonyThere has been no shortage of tests on the effectiveness of various forms

of nitrogen fertiliser in the past. Based on these results, practice and

consultation came to the conclusion that the nitrogen fertilisers urea,

urea-ammonium nitrate solution and nitro chalk, which are widespread in

agricultural practice, can be judged as equal in their effect on yield and

effectiveness on quality during appropriate application for arable crops.

[Source: KTBL paper 483 - December 2010: “Efficiency of mineral nitrogen fertilisation”, Dr. Baumgärtel, Chamber of Agriculture, Lower Saxony]

Technische Universität München,Chair of Plant NutritionThe results of this 30-year test show no statistical difference in the yield

performance of the different nitrogen forms KAS, ASS and urea and it

seems plausible that there are no essential differences in the effectiveness

of the different N-forms and that the possible differences in the N emissi-

ons would be relatively small.

[Source: KTBL paper 483 - December 2010 “Ammonia emissions from mineral fertiliser – test results on Central European locations”, Prof. Dr. Schmidhalter, Chair of Plant Nutrition Weihenstephan]

Chamber of Agriculture North-Rhine WestphaliaThe Chamber of Agriculture Westfalen-Lippe tested the effectiveness of KAS, AHL

and urea in extensive field trials. The evidence from the 30 wheat and 12 barley

tests is unequivocal: on average the N-forms has the same effect in the tests. There

is also related evidence to support this statement.

[Source: Landwirtschaftliches Wochenblatt Westfalen-Lippe 5/2000]

Chamber of Agriculture Schleswig HolsteinWhat is the correct form of nitrogen? This discussion is as old as

nitrogen fertiliser itself. When choosing the N-form to be used

first of all the price relations between the N-forms on offer are

often decisive. Many years of test results carried out by Futterkamp with

60 benchmarks, 680 mm annual precipitation and 8.3° C annual average

temperature show that under these cultivation conditions the choice of N

form was irrelevant as far as the yield result was concerned.

[Source: Recommendations for nitrogen fertilisation 2011 – Part 1, Dr. Ulfried Obenauf, Chamber of Agriculture Schleswig-Holstein]

Statements of official consultants

80

60

40

20

0

wit

ho

ut N

KA

S

Ur

ea

AH

L

Winter wheat

Winter barley

N form trial in winter crops in Westphalia-Lippe Winter wheat: Average from 30 tests 1988 – 1993; Winter barley: Average from 12 tests 1992 – 1994

[Source: Test field guide for 2009 – Agricultural Centre Haus Düsse]

Gr

ain

yie

ld

(dt

/ha)

8 9

What makes urea even more interesting?Wolfgang Vogel, President of the Saxon Farmer’s As-sociation and Managing Director of Bauernland GmbH, Grimma-Beiersdorf, District of Leipzig, Saxony

“… It means we can avoid the spring dryness …

The use of urea with the addition of N stabilisers has been im-plemented very successfully in my company in the past few ye-

ars. This means that a very early nitrogen supply of the cultivated plants is made possible and through the ammonium nutrition an even supply of nitrogen is guaranteed. The addition of N stabilisers is advantageous because we only have to fertilise the cultivation of winter rape, winter barley and winter rye once. This means we can avoid the spring dryness and save additional application costs. With stabilised fertilisers mixed with nitrogen/sulphur fertilisers we can protect the supply of sulphur to the plants.”

Thomas Riedl, Fürstenzell, District of Passau, Bavaria

“… The economic advantage was decisive for us …

We cultivate a pig fattening farm with 1,600 fattening units and 130 ha of farmland. A few years ago we switched to

urea fertiliser. The economic advantage was decisive for us. With a highly-concentrated fertiliser the effectiveness is greatly increased. There are also advantages with storage, as more nitrogen can be stored in the form of urea. Recently we have also been using more fertiliser specialities such as urea with sulphur and stabilised urea. This enables us to increase the economic advantage.”

Volker Göschl, Ettling, District of Dingolfing/Landau, Bavaria

“… Effective storage of the fertiliser is also important for us …

We cultivate 85 ha of farmland with 600 KW biogas and 100 breeding sows in our business. Urea provides a lot of

advantages for us, in particular the economic advantage is very important for us. We work with stabilised urea and take full ad-vantage of ammonium nutrition. Effective storage of the fertiliser is also important for us.”

Weidlich and Partner Agrar GbR, Querfurt, District of Merseburg-Querfurt, Saxony-Anhalt

“…The plants don’t overreact either …

We use a lot of urea fertiliser, as it means we can store and transport a high amount of nutrients. The plants don’t over-

react either, if too much is put on them. In our company we use a lot of organic mass and are glad to be able to balance the alkaline soil with acid fertiliser in this way.”

�

Urea is a quickly available nitrogen form for practical plant nutrition.

The only difference in urea compared with other N-forms is the hydrolytic conversion in the ground through the omnipresent enzyme urease to am-monium (ammonia). This process takes place within a period of 1 to 4 days.The ammonium which is formed can either be directly absorbed by the plants or bonded with the sorption carriers of the soil. Through exchange processes this ammonium remains available to plants, but it is also transformed into nitrate mi-crobially.In comparison with ammonium, nitrate is not bonded by the sorption carriers and is therefore subject to the risk of eluviation. Furthermore, the-re is also an increased potential of nitrogen mo-noxide loss as a consequence of denitrification.Despite an additional stage of decomposition urea converts to nitrate for practical fertilisation as quickly as other N-forms. This is why duringurea fertilisation an allocation in several N doses is necessary as is the case with other conventio-nal N fertilisers.

I. Observance of the foundations:Utilising urea in the same amounts and allocation as other N-forms

Nitrification

1 week (20 °C)

6 week (5 °C)

1 Day (20 °C)

4 Days (2 °C)

Urea

hydrolysis

Nitrate-N

NO3

Ammonium-N

NH4

Carbamide N

CO(NH2)

2

MODE

OF A

CT

ION UREA NITROGEN [CARBAMIDE-N]

Use urea according to good professional practice:

Conditions for optimal use are:

Y Moist soil with sufficient sorption capacity (BZ > 20)

Y pH value under 7.5

Y Temperature less than 25 °C

Therefore, conditions which are usual for standard fertilising deadlines.

Topic

10 11

O C

NH2

H2O CO

2NH

3NH

4

NH2

O C

NH2

OH

Urea

Hydrolysis

Urease

spontaneous

Carbamic Acid

3 O2

2 H2O 4 HOxidation

Nitrosomonas ssp.

Ammonium Nitrite

2 NH4

2 NO2

3 O2

O2 Oxidation

Nitrobacter ssp.

Nitrite

2 NO2

2 NO3

Nitrate

O2

Reports from farmers

What makes urea so interesting?

The size of the crop yield and the quality of the harvest products is largely dependent on the major nutrient nitro-gen. For effective management the best possible use of the nutrients employed is aspired to in order to achieve high economic efficiency and at the same time avoid the risk of environmental pollution.

The numerous N-form tests of the official bodies as well as decades of practical experience confirm that there are no practical differences between the N-forms KAS, urea and AHL with regard to the effectiveness of fertiliser yield and the quality parameter. In nutrient efficiency and environmental behaviour urea and AHL are equal to other N-forms. Further economical advantages also make urea and AHL very interesting fertilisers with a very good price-performance ratio.

he N efficiency of nitrogen can also been seen in concert with the other nutrients. Sulphur plays a decisive role here. A further important element for effective nitrogen fertilisa-tion are nitrogen stabilisers, which as nitrification inhibitors reduce nitrogen loss as nitrate and also reduce climate-re-levant nitrogen monoxide and through ammonium-empha-sised nutrition harmonise the nitrogen requirement and the supply for the plants by saving work. Furthermore, as urease inhibitors they prevent large loss of ammonia emissions under these conditions, for example in the tropics.

Urea is a solid basis for the combination with sulphur and nitrogen stabilisers. Not only due to its high nutrient concen-tration for fertiliser from an economic point of view and to stabilise.

This makes urea the worldwide No. 1 fertiliser with a rising trend.

Wirtschaftsbetriebe Ippen, Norden, East Friesland, Lower Saxony, Wilhelm de Beer

“…It means we can add even larger amounts of nitrogen at the same time …

Nitrogen fertiliser containing urea has been used in the farming regions of the East Frisian marsh for some time

now. We have been using urea for many years. The company is spread over four small towns and therefore the logistical advan-tages which are offered by urea with its high nutrient content are very important for us. Our experiences and tests here in the marsh show that urea does not fertilise better or worse than, for example, KAS. For some years we have been using stabilised liquid fertiliser for the first dose. This means we can add even larger amounts of nitrogen at the same time and the plants absorb it as they need it. Economic advantages are offered by saving a fertiliser dose and also the temporal flexibility.”

Progranus GbR, Ditterke, Region Hannover, Lower Saxo-ny, Steffen Mogwitz

“…Urea is also good for our environment …

Our company has always used urea as a fertiliser, as this form of fertiliser is the best use of our storage space. No

other fertiliser offers me this high nutrient concentration. Urea is also good for our environment, because as AD BLUE the nitrogen oxide separates from the waste gas. Recently we have been experimenting with stabilised fertilisers containing urea in order to save on transit and to manage our affairs more efficiently.”

Agricultural Farm Kuhlmann, Bergen, Lower Saxony, Hans-Dietrich Kuhlmann

“…25 % more nitrogen in the fertiliser spreader …

U rea has been used in my company for some years now, because it fits in with our company concept which is based

on effectiveness. Urea offers me the best utilization with limited storage space. These logistical advantages also apply to application, as there isaround 25 % more nitrogen in the fertiliser spreader than with KAS. The lasting effect and the acidifying effects are particularly advantageous for our potato production. In our experience wheat reacts with the improved protein content of urea fertiliser.“

Georg Janssen, Neuharlingersiel, Lower Saxony

“…we have introduced the liquid varia-tion with sulphur …

In the past I used to mainly fertilise with KAS. My trading partner has been selling stabilised urea fertiliser for a few

years now. Last year I decided to give it a try. We had problems with the storage of stock fertilised with KAS when stored in large quantities, while there were no problems with those fertilised with stabilised fertiliser. This year we have used the liquid variation with sulphur. With stabilised fertilisation I can add large quantities at the same time and the plants absorb it when and however they need it and not when I have time to spread fertiliser. I no longer have to think too much about the best fertilising deadline and no longer have the problem that fertiliser grain just lies in the dust and doesn’t have any effect during the spring dryness.”

�

�

Urea in solid form

Urea is equal to KAS in the effect of the fertiliser, but with 46% nitrogen it has a significantly hig-

her nutrient content and therefore offers great ad-vantages during transportation, storage and, above all, during application. This offers economic ad-vantages and saves space in storage rooms. Urea granules also offer excellent scattering properties through the size and grain hardness and can be ap-plied with suitable fertiliser distributors up to 36m working width. If urea is applied according to good professional practice, there is no need to fear N loss through ammonia emissions after fertilisation. This is proven by same performance in many tests (see table 1) or direct measurement in plant stand.

Grain Rape Maize Potato Sugar BeetTotal /

average

Number of

tests154 37 28 23 19 261

without N 68 71 85 77 94 75

Urea

100

[89,9 dt/ha]

Grain yield

100

[46,9 dt/ha]

Seed yield

100

[104,8 dt/ha]

Grain yield

100

[424 dt/ha]

Bulb yield

100

[689 dt/ha]

Turnip yield

100

KAS 100 100 98 99 101 100

Tab. 1: Yield results of granulated urea in agricultural crops. Average of the relative yield

[%] from 261 field trials 1995–2010, Agricultural Applied Research Cunnersdorf

The high N utilisation of granulated urea in important agricultural crops highlight the yield results achieved in 261 tests carried out at various locations between 1995 and 2010 (loamy sand to sandy loam, BZ 25 ... 56).

AHLUrea can be employed superbly as urea solution with nitric acid and ammonia for liquid fertilisers such as ammonium nitrate urea solution (AHL).

Reasons for the increasing interest in the applica-tion of AHL are, alongside the excellent fertiliser effect, also the economic advantages, such as lower application costs compared with solid fer-tilisers, combination possibilities with pesticides, growth regulators and trace nutrients as well as efficient transport and transfer possibilities. As an unpressurised water-clear solution AHL can be dosed exactlyand as required and be applied precisely on lar-ge areas with usual pesticide techniques. Varied application technology is offered for the use of liquid fertilisers, which work in a plant protecting

Grain Rape Maize Potato Sugar BeetTotal /

average

Number of

tests132 15 21 25 17 210

without N 68 73 90 82 94 74

KAS

100

[89,0 dt/ha]

Grain yield

100

[40,8 dt/ha]

Seed yield

100

[93,5 dt/ha]

Grain yield

100

[419 dt/ha]

Bulb yield

100

[622 dt/ha]

Turnip yield

100

AHL 100 101 102 101 102 100

Tab. 2: N form comparison in agricultural main crops average of the relative yield [%] from

210 field trials 1993–2010, Agricultural Applied Research Cunnersdorf

Therefore, solid and liquid urea fertilisers represent an excellent basis without flaws compared with other N-forms, in order to continue to increase N efficiency, in particular in combination with sulphur and N stabilisers.

II. Solid and liquid urea fertiliser:It has a dependable basis like other N forms but with excellent conditions for a further increase in N efficiency.

manner and also enable use at later development state of the grain. An important prerequisite for plant protecting application is, alongside suitab-le application technology, the use of qualitative high-quality AHL (brand-name articles with gu-aranteed quality parameters). It is particularly during years with dry spring and early summer weather that AHL also offers advantages due to the additional effect on leave. Many years of tests in the industry and also official test results illustra-te these advantages, but in particular an identical fertilisation effect of AHL compared with other N fertilisers when used correctly (Tab. 2).

Urea with sulphur in an ideal combination

Securing N efficiency through a supply of nitrogen and sulphur which fulfils plant requirements.

As sulphur has become almost completely insi-gnificant as an air pollutant, it is gaining impor-tance as a fertilising nutrient element due to the lack of input in arable land.Water-soluble sulphate is the only form in which the plants can absorb sulphur from the soil solu-tion. The close relationship between nitrogen and sulphur in plant nutrition and in the soil-biological processes arises from the structure and composi-tion of the organic compounds, such as from pro-tein. As soon as the plants do not have enough sulphur this leads to deficiency symptoms and metabolic disorders in the plant. If a kilogram of sulphur is missing, around 15 kg of nitrogen can-not be utilised. So in order to be able to guarantee efficient nitrogen fertilisation, it seems obvious to connect this with sulphur fertilisation suited to re-quirements. In doing so it depends on the correct N/S ratio in the fertiliser. This means that on the one hand high N efficiency is guaranteed and on the other hand eluviation and the loss of sulp-hur are reduced. The combination fertiliser made from urea with ammonium sulphate enables an optimal adaptation of the ratios of nitrogen to sulphur in the fertiliser to the requirements of the plants with granulated and liquid fertilisers. Therefore N efficiency is guaranteed for the plant through a nitrogen and sulphur supply which ful-fils requirements.

Topic

12 13

Effe

ct o

f ni

trog

en sta

bilis

ation

– nitrogen at the right place at the right tim

e

N2

NON

2O

Gaseous N loss

N-Stabiliser controls

nitrification

NitrificationAmmonium-N

NH4

N2

NON

2O

nNitrate

NO3

Storage

N2

NON

2O

Dénitrification

Landwirtschaft Golzow GmbH & Co. Vermögens – KG, District of Märkisch-Oderland, Brandenburg, Dr. Manfred Großkopf

“… high yield with very good quality …

We are the largest agricultural business in East Brandenburg with around 7,000 hectares. The largest share of our crops

is over 3,000 hectares of winter wheat, followed by maize, oil seed and leguminous plants. We have been fertilising with urea for years in order to guarantee high yields with very good quality.“

Farming specialist Schesslitz near Bamberg, Upper Fran-conia, Bavaria, Helmut Schrenker

“…We used to fertilise with KAS …

We have an agricultural business with dairy cattle and have been using mineral fertiliser containing urea for three

years. We used to fertilise with KAS, now we use a stabilised NPK mixed fertiliser and a stabilised nitrogen fertiliser contai-ning urea. The decisive factor for us was that we were able to combine doses and therefore have less work peaks. Through the higher N efficiency of the products we save on the amount of fertiliser while helping the environment.”

Marktfrucht GbR Glowe, Island of Rügen, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Thomas Mielke

“…applied early without leaching loss …

Iuse urea because I can achieve a high acreage output through the high concentration of nutrients. I can apply the first N

dose early in appropriate weather conditions without leaching loss. In most cases I can use the price advantage of urea when I buy nitrogen.”

Agricultural Committee Schwiesau GmbH, Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, Saxony-Anhalt, Jürgen Beneke

“…Urea currently has an attractive price …

Iam predominantly a long-term user of urea, although I also use KAS and SSA. Urea currently has an attractive price,

but I imagine it also has the highest nutrient content. I have not noticed any yield differences compared with the other fertilisers, but urea scores points due to the logistic advantages during transport and application. I have been using a stabilised urea fertiliser for two years and want to use it to utilise the N efficiency of urea even more.”

Agricultural business Nutmann, Pinnow bei Neubranden-burg, District Demmin, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania

“…milder for the plants than nitrate …

I have never been disappointed by urea in the past three years. The high nutrient concentration in urea means higher

effectiveness for me. For me urea as an organic compound is milder for plants than nitrate. I can use urea early in spring and apply it more variably and at the same time take advantage of its practicability in case of frost.”

�

�

�

Am

mon

ium

-em

phas

ised

nut

rition

with controlled nitrate release

Fertiliser with nitrogen stabiliser

with

ou

t nitr

og

en

stabilis

er

III. Top fertiliser with future potential

Urea is immediately turned into ammonium. In the soil, ammonium is the target location for nitrification inhibitors. These inhibitors then control the

further transformation of the stable ammonium form, which is not in danger of eluviation, into the very flexible nitrate form. Therefore, fertilisers con-taining urea (granulated urea, urea with sulphur and AHL with and without sulphur) are an excellent basis for stabilised nitrogen fertiliser in order to increase N efficiency.N stabilisation with nitrification inhibitors has already achieved wide usage in agricultural practice. Furthermore, it has made a major contribution to the development of new, more efficient and cost-effective nitrogen stabilisers.

In case of spring dryness it is already found in the root zone due to the earlier fertilisation deadline. Furthermore, thanks to the improved root formation the plants can better absorb water and nutrients and deal with such stress situations. Together with the targeted nitrate delivery from the ammonium depot, harmonious plant nutrition with higher yields and better quality can be achieved.Stabilised fertilisers also lead to lower nitrate content in the soil. Loss of nit-rogen, which proceeds from nitrate, can also be significantly reduced. Com-pared with conventional fertilisation systems the discharge of nitrate from the top-soil and gaseous N emissions are reduced due to denitrification. A reduction in the loss of nitrogen monoxide by at least 50% is important for the climate and environment.With stabilised N fertilisers a very good congruence between the provision of N and the N requirement of the plants is achieved. N efficiency is further improved by the reduction of N loss in the water and in the air. The result is economically surplus yields with higher effectiveness while at the same time protecting the environment.

Urea with nitrification inhibitorsThe advantages of ammonium-emphasised nutrition such as less work, more yield while at the same time protecting the envi-ronment

Topic

Nitrification inhibitors mean that we can take full advantage of the ammo-nium form. Ammonium nitrogen is stabilised, its microbial transformation to nitrate is significantly delayed and a supply of ammonium protected from displacement is laid in the soil. As plants are able to absorb ammonium equally as well as nitrate, it results in ammonium-emphasised nutrition gui-ded by plant growth as required. Larger amounts of N can be added in one dose without the risk of luxury consumption and therefore partial doses can be avoided. Fertilisation is simplified and can also be carried out variably. This is because stabilised nitrogen is effective and independent of the wea-ther. In case of high rainfall after fertilisation it is protected from eluviation.

14 15

Urea with urease inhibitors

Avoidance of ammonia loss outside the favourable location of Central Europe:

If urea is applied according to good professional practice under the climate conditions of Central Europe, there are no practical differences regar-ding yield and N efficiency compared with other N forms. Nitrogen loss after fertilisation with urea, also in the form of Ammonia, is therefore neg-ligibly small when observing application recom-mendations. In Germany and Central Europe we are in a “favourable location” due to the soil and climate conditions. Urea is used as the world’s No. 1 fertiliser in many regions of the world, where its undisput-ed potential for ammonia emissions pays off. This is because under the conditions of a quick and intensive urea reaction, in cases of high urease activity, such as in tropical and subtropical regi-ons with damp heat conditions or under dry and hot conditions, such as in Southern Europe, or on soil with a high pH value, these ammonia emissi-ons can be very high. Under such conditions, the combination of urea with a urease inhibitor can achieve a clear reduction in loss. Through the use of urease inhibitors the activity of the enzyme urease is temporarily reduced and therefore the process of urea hydrolysis is extended from what is usually a few days to a period of around one to two weeks. As a result, in this period constant smaller amounts of ammonia (NH

3) are formed

which are mainly completely absorbed as ammo-nium (NH

4+) in the soil or directly absorbed by the

plants. The reduction of the ammonia emissions can be measured with costly technology directly in the land. Indirect proof for significantly reduced N loss is the increase in yield and an increased N extraction by the plants. In this way, the positive effect of an urease inhibitor has been recorded, for example, in field trials in Greece and Spain. Under extreme conditions of loss for urea, such as in Southern Europe, N fertiliser efficiency can be improved by up to 32% by the use of an urease inhibitor.

Farmer’s Cooperative Naandorf-Niedergoseln e.G., Dis-trict of Northern Saxony, Saxony, Frank Hennig

“… an important part of our fertilisation strategy …

The use of urea is an important part of our fertilisation strategy. We appreciate the high quality and the cost-effec-

tiveness of this fertiliser. With urea it is possible to cover the N requirement of the crops with a reduced movement of goods. Generally, our stock is kept ammonium-emphasised, in order to fulfil the high demands of sustainable environmentally-friendly production and still achieve good yields and quality.”

Hinrich Tamm, Sulsdorf, District Ostholstein, Schleswig-Holstein

“…Here in the North you have to do things properly from the word go …

Iuse urea in order to bring large amounts of nutrients to the plants early on and safely. Here in the North you have to do

things properly from the word go before the dryness sets in. I have been using stabilised liquid fertiliser containing urea more and more in my company in order to avoid work peaks."

Milcherzeugergenossenschaft Klötze e.G., District of Salzwedel, Saxony-Anhalt, Raimund Punke

“…improved nutrient efficiency coup-led with higher nutrient density …

We use around 70% ammonium content N fertiliser or mix-tures with sulphur fertiliser in our company, because we

had successful trials with this six years ago. For us the improved nutrient efficiency coupled with higher nutrient density and the opportunity to combine it with the ever more important nutri-ent sulphur played an important role. Furthermore, we use the advantages of N stabilisation in our fermentation substrates. We have become a consultation company in this respect.“

Biogas Plant Fuchsstadt, Lower Franconia, Würzburg, Bavaria, Bernd Güther

“…End of the trip for a second N dose in grain …

Ioperate a biogas plant. Alongside our main crop maize silage we also cultivate grain and sugar beet. In the second year I

used a stabilised urea sulphur fertiliser. The main reason for the new fertilisation strategy was the end of the trip for a second N dose in grain and the associated staggering of work peaks, par-ticularly when sowing maize. A further advantage during the increasing dry periods is in the form of ammonium-emphasised plant nutrition.”

�

16 17

There has always been a lot of energy in agriculture. But with the increase in the world’s population the demand for energy, food and mobility is

growing.The problems of nutrition and energy are inseparable. Food, water, soil, oil and forests will not be available to us forever. The oil reserves are also approaching an end in the foreseeable future. This is why more and more countries are choosing bio energy and alternative fuels.

However, a fundamental conflict has been pro-voked by the boom in bio fuel: bread or petrol, tank or plate? For agriculture the “tank or pla-te” dilemma offers alternative new, more attractive sources of income and an addi-tional market to tap into. But is the con-version of agricultural products into fuel efficient? Hardly, as “DIE ZEIT” newspaper illustrated very graphically in an article on 10 March 2011: A hundredweight sack of grain is full of energy. A human could feed them-selves for two and a half months on it, including 400 wor-king hours and a few hundred jogging kilometres after work. But if it was used to produce ethanol in order to fill a tank, it wouldn’t even be enough to travel by car from Hamburg to Hannover. Even if Germany were to use all areas for the cultivation of energy crops for the tank, it still wouldn’t satisfy the thirst of our vehicles. Furthermore, using 4,500 litres of water

PENURIE D

’EAU

SpezialSpecial

Thinking outside the box:

bread or petrol?

The prospects are looking grim: water is running out all over the

world. The World Water Day on 22.3.2011 the UN reminded

people of the fact that there is now a shortage of water in 80 countries.

But while the water shortage in Western states is a troublesome matter which is becoming more expensive, in other parts of the world it is life threatening. In

particular, agriculture uses the lion’s share of fresh water

totalling 70%. If a country cultivates tomatoes,

paprika, and cucumbers intensively it can only be achieved through a huge

irrigation system. But there are a variety of solutions.

120 l

2.400 l

13.000 l

1.000 l

2.000 – 5.000 l

4 l22 %

4oo.000 l

2.o00 l

5.000.000.000.000 m3

18 19

for the manufacture of a few litres of bioethanol is irresponsible when there is such a shortage of water worldwide.

Agriculture can and should contribute to energy production, but there are much more efficient ways to do it. If the har-

vest of a hectare was used in a biogas plant instead of an ethanol refinery, a car would be able to travel three

and a half times further with the methane gained. An electric car could travel another 50 percent

further, as the electricity requirement could be covered by burning the same amount

of the harvest in a biomass power plant. However the central task of agricul-

ture is and remains the feeding of the world’s population. For the

worldwide constantly growing demand for foodstuff and rene-wable raw materials for a world population which will grown to 9

billion by 2050 there needs to be intelligent strategies for the increase in efficiency of agricultural uses while at the same time minimising possible effects on the environment. Strong agricultural research is imperative for this.

A cup of coffee contains 120 litres of so-called “virtual water” - water which is requi-red for production.

A hamburger contains 2400 litres of “virtual water”.

Anyone who eats a kilo of grain uses a total of 1000 litres of water, which is required to wash the grain.

When eating a kilo of beef 13,000 litres of virtual water is required.

On average the production of daily food of a human being uses 2000 to 5000 litres of water- …

… while the elementary needs such as drinking only require 4 litres of water.

A study for the International Water Institute in Stockholm (SIWI) found that the water shortage will limit the further expansion of the production of foodstuff if the manufacture and consumption of foodstuff is not changed substantially. Industry also uses a lot of water and is responsible for around 22 % of the worldwide use of fresh water.

The production of a car uses an average of about 400,000 litres of “virtual water”.

The production of a t-shirt requires up to 2,000 litres of water.

In the last century alone, the worldwide use of water increased by a factor of ten from 500 to 5,000 billion cubic metres per year (≈ 100 times the water contained in Lake Constance) and is continuing to increase.

ContactSKW

Stickstoffwerke Piesteritz G

mbH

Möllensdorfer Strasse 13

06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg

ww

w.skw

p.dew

ww

.industriekulturstadt-wittenberg.de

Design & Layouttriplex G

mbH

München

ww

w.triplex.de

Urea – W

orld fertiliser N

r. 1 with

growin

g intelligen

ce

The food crisis is becom

ing in

creasingly dan

gerous for the W

est

Yesterday Tunisia an

d Egypt, today Libya and tom

orrow oth

er Arab states, em

irates and sultan

ates. Bread plays a decisive role in

all of th

ese insurrection

s. In A

rabic "Aysh

" mean

s bread, but it also mean

s life. Bread h

as become m

ore and m

ore expensive due to th

e price of w

heat risin

g globally, makin

g it unaffordable for m

any people. A

ngry citizen

s also march

ed through

the streets of N

ew D

elhi. Th

ey dem

onstrated again

st the risin

g cost of rice, wheat an

d onion

s. Accordin

g to a survey, the biggest w

orry for people in Ch

ina today is

not th

e lack of political freedom, but rath

er the lack of low

-priced foodstuffs. But th

e deman

d is contin

uing to grow

because more an

d m

ore people are living in

the w

orld – by 2050 th

ere will be aroun

d 2 billion

more. A

t the sam

e time, th

e supply is stagnatin

g because lan

d and w

ater is limited aroun

d the globe. Th

e ground-w

ater level in Ch

ina an

d India is sin

king, im

portant rivers are dryin

g out and th

e form

ation of steppes is con

tinuin

g all over the w

orld. Climate ch

ange is also destroyin

g increasin

g num

bers of harvests. Th

is is why th

e prices for alm

ost all agricultural comm

odities are contin

uing to rise. In

the 1

960s it w

as possible to drastically increase food production

in

Asia th

rough th

e use of fertiliser and pest con

trol. Now

a “second green revolution

” is required to come to th

e rescue with

innovative

products and tech

nology.

[Source: ww

w.m

anager-magazin.de from

28.04.2011]

FA

CT C

HECK U

RE

A 0

1