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2024 IFS Conference
Combining Agronomic and Technical presentations
The Society’s 2024 Conference was held at Robinson College, Cambridge, UK on 11-13 December
Following the success of our combined conference in the last two years, our 2024 event had a similar structure. It included presentations both for delegates with crop nutrition and fertiliser production interests, as well as some that were of general interest. As well as a variety of relevant and interesting presentations, this provided unique opportunities to meet, discuss topics of common interest and build relationships with people working in different parts of the fertiliser and crop nutrition supply chain.
The Conference featured a total of twenty papers, eight of which covered topics of interest to those involved with crop nutrition, eight were of interest to those involved with fertiliser production, while four joint presentations were of interest to all. In addition there was a session reviewing the challenges faced by the Society and how it might adapt to these, with delegate participation encouraged, followed by a discussion panel session of interest to all delegates, addressing the question: ‘The innovations that the fertiliser / crop nutrition industry needs to meet the challenges it faces’.
All presentations and the discussion panel were viewable as a live stream, with remote delegates being able to put questions to the speakers, download written papers and view pdf copies of the posters.
The eight agronomic papers covered topics such as a review of crop management lessons learnt from different long term field trials, new data on the benefits of controlled field traffic, usage of organic manures, management of cover crops, improved recommendations for K crop nutrition, and lessons learnt from the development of an intergraded fertiliser recommendation system.
The eight production papers covered topics such as the way towards low carbon fertiliser production in Europe, removing magnesium from phosphate rock, a review of gypsum usage and stack management, gypsum regeneration, a view on the way forward for plant safety from the inaugural recipient of the Kish Shah award for outstanding contributions to the fertiliser production industry, project management of large scale turnaround of N plants, and advanced process control.
.The five papers of joint interest covered the outlook for costs of synthetic nitrogen in Europe and likely impacts on crop production, the impact of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the cost and supply of fertiliser, and new developments in fertiliser production technology that will affect the types and costs of products available to feed crops.
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The presentations were again augmented by a varied display of posters, while the Conference hosted the final of the 2024 Brian Chambers International Award for Early Career Researchers in Crop Nutrition.
There were also ample opportunities for valuable networking, including the Conference dinner.
For delegates in the UK, attendance at this conference was worth 9 BASIS FACTS CPD points –
2 for the Wednesday, 4 for the Thursday, and 3 for the Friday.
Guided walking tour of CambridgeDelegates’ enjoyment of the event was enhanced by two ‘lighter’ activities that were organised. On the morning of Wednesday 11 and afternoon of Friday 13 December, delegates could take a guided walking tour of the historic and lovely heart of Cambridge, whilst those staying in Robinson College participated in a ‘high energy’ team quiz after dinner on the Wednesday evening. This was a great way to meet other delegates and have some fun.Abstracts of the papers to be presented can be read below.Most delegates stay in Robinson College, or other ones close by, to maximise networking opportunities, as Cambridge hotels are some distance away. College accommodation and dinners can be booked via the registration form.
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Abstracts
Wednesday 11th December 2024
All the presentations on Wednesday will be of interest to both delegates interested in crop nutrition, and those interested in fertiliser production.
| Wednesday 11th December 2024 | |
|---|---|
| 11.30-13.00 | Guided walking tour of historic Cambridge |
| MAIN AUDITORIUM PRESENTATIONS | |
| 14.00 | Conference program starts |
| Current and future costs and benefits of nitrogen fertiliser Alfredo Rodríguez, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain | |
| Impact of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the cost and supply of fertiliser Mike Nash, Argus Media, UK | |
| Tea / coffee break | |
| Impact of new electrolysis technology on the production of green ammonia and farm gate prices Kevin Rouwenhorst, Ammonia Energy Association, The Netherlands | |
| The adverse impacts of nitrogen use in Europe on human health, climate, and ecosystems Gerard Ros, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands | |
| 17.40 (approx.) | Conference program ends |
| 19.00 – 20.00 | Dinner |
| 20.15 – 21.15 | Team Quiz |
Current and future costs and benefits of nitrogen fertiliser
Alfredo Rodríguez, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Cereals are the most important staple crop on a global scale, absorbing over half of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and more than half of the arable land. While this fertiliser produced by the Haber-Bosch process contributes to feeding half of the population and supports food choices, combined with the reactive N generation from nitrogen-fixing crop cultivation and deposition due to fossil fuel burning, it has doubled the global natural input of reactive N.
It is widely accepted that this increase in such inputs has significant impacts on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The use of synthetic fertilisers and manure in agricultural practices represents a major global source of contamination from ammonia, nitrates, and nitrous oxide, with relevant effects on ecosystems, human health and life expectancy, and climate change.
These adverse impacts are an increasing offset of the obvious benefits for food security and the economy of farms and agro-food industry. They pose challenges to manage fertiliser application both in terms of input levels and application (4R).
With the aim of achieving the best possible synergy between food security and agricultural economy, the NBCalCer model (Nitrogen Benefit Cost calculator for Cereals) was developed. This model enables the quantification, in the long-term, of the effects of nitrogen input on grain yields, nitrogen budgets and major environmental impacts worldwide at country to state resolution. NBCalCer also quantifies market and non-market (externalities) benefits and costs. For this purpose, environmental damages are monetised.
In this study, NBCalCer was used to analyse the benefit-cost consequences for both the farmer and for society as a whole, and to quantify the economic optimum N rates for farmers (EONR) and for society (SONR). This has been done for the present time and for 2050, using three contrasting Shared Socioeconomic Pathway scenarios, by changing N inputs and potential yields for cereal systems in global regions.
The results show that, in general, the benefit-cost ratio of the use of N for cereal production decreases in the future, with the quantity depending on the region and the scenario, and with some regions with the ratio being lower than one. Globally, SONR is around 68% of the EONR value, illustrating that current inputs of synthetic N fertilisers are not providing maximum societal benefits, while acknowledging that these rates are often suboptimal in many parts of the world for farm income and regional grain sufficiency.
Impact of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the cost and supply of fertiliser
Mike Nash, Argus Media, UK
As part of its plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the EU has created the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, or CBAM for short, which is a levy which puts a carbon price on the import of some fertilizers made outside the EU. It is designed to encourage non-EU producers to decarbonise and to prevent so-called carbon leakage, the moving of production assets away from Europe to countries where environmental controls may be more lax.
Europe is a mature fertilizer market, but a big one, and is heavily reliant on imports of key fertilizer products, particularly urea, DAP and nitrates. In this paper, Argus Senior Editor Mike Nash takes a look at where we are now in terms of actual implementation of CBAM, what the timeline is for eventual full introduction of the levy and what products it applies to, namely AS, AN, CAN, UAN, NP, NPKs, NPs, DAP, MAP, urea and ammonia. These constitute the bulk of imports into the EU. He will take a closer look at how CBAM actually works with the Emissions Trading System (ETS) before examining the likely impact on Europe’s fertiliser sector and crucially the prices of those fertiliser products.
Mike is senior editor for the fertiliser division at Argus Media, a UK-based market reporting agency, and has covered fertiliser markets for 20 years..
Impact of new electrolysis technology on the production of green ammonia and farm gate prices
Kevin Rouwenhurst, Ammonia Energy Association, Netherlands
The first electrolysis-based projects to produce green ammonia are now coming online, commissioned by companies such as Fertiberia, Yara and CF Industries. These typically have a capacity in the order of 20-24 MW capacity. In addition the first larger scale-up projects are now being implemented, such as Egypt Green and NEOM. Thus the development and industrialisation of electrolysis technology is proceeding at pace.
This presentation will build on the one given in 2022, providing an update on the global project pipeline, including cost numbers for realised projects, with their associated levelised costs of ammonia. It will also cover emerging good practice on implementing electrolyser capacity in ammonia plants, with a focus on revamps / newbuilds, along with the developments and potential benefits / impact on green NH3 revamps and new plants related to electrolyser technologies.
The adverse impacts of nitrogen use in Europe on human health, climate, and ecosystems
Gerard Ros, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands
Human activities have significantly contributed to the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N) gas into various reactive N compounds that are biologically, radiatively or photochemically active. We reviewed all effects of reactive N inputs on air, soil, and water quality across Europe between 1990 and 2019, focusing on trends and geographical variations, and using data from long-term monitoring networks and air quality simulations with EMEP. Trends in ecological and human health risks were assessed by the exceedance of critical levels and critical loads of N.
Over the period studied, emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ammonia (NH3) showed a notable decline, with NOx emissions dropping by 57% and NH3 by 27%, though NH3 concentrations rose slightly due to reduced sulphur emissions. The impacts on ozone concentrations and ecosystem health were mixed, with only minor improvements in ozone-related indicators. In contrast, N deposition and exceedances of critical N loads in terrestrial ecosystems decreased by 60%, although the area affected by these exceedances reduced by only 10%. The review underscores that despite significant reductions in N emissions, hotspots of N pollution persist, particularly in intensive agricultural and urban regions.
We lastly explored the economic implications of reactive N use, finding that the environmental costs of N pollution outweigh the economic benefits it provides to agriculture. As N is critical for sustaining food production, we advocate for integrated plant nutrition strategies that minimize environmental impacts while maintaining agricultural productivity. Key questions arise regarding the applicability and effectiveness of sustainable nitrogen management practices, considering both economic and ecological factors. Considering the adverse impacts of nitrogen, further efforts are thus needed to reduce the N losses during the whole food supply chain, as currently aimed for in the ‘Farm to Fork Strategy’ with a goal to reduce nutrient losses by 50% in 2030.
Thursday 12th December 2024
On Thursday there will be separate presentations for those interested in either crop nutrition or fertiliser production. The crop nutrition abstracts are shown first, with the production ones below.
| Thursday 12th December 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| MAIN AUDITORIUM PRESENTATIONS | UMNEY THEATRE PRESENTATIONS | |
| 9.15 | Conference program starts | |
| Effect of controlled field traffic on greenhouse gas emissions, soil structure and nitrogen use efficiency Diogenes L. Antille, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Australia | Fertiliser production and process safety: major PS challenges caused by a less stable world Vincent Duponchel, Yara Belgium S.A | |
| Improving the use of liquid farm-based manures in arable farming: Case studies from Germany Hans-Werner Olfs, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrueck, Germany | How to shape low carbon fertilizer production in Europe Ruud Swarts, OCI Nitrogen, Netherlands | |
| Tea / coffee break | ||
| Developing a decision support system for the choice of cover crops Luca Bechini, University of Milan, Italy | Gypsum Utilisation in the Phosphoric Acid Industry: A Path to Sustainability Tibaut Theys, Prayon Technologies, Belgium | |
| MERCI: a simple decision-support tool to estimate availability of nitrogen from a wide range of cover crops to the next cash crop Lionel Jordan-Meille, Agro-sciences, France | Gypsum Regeneration with Clean Energy in the Fertiliser Industry Ricardo L. Sepulveda, Pegasus TSI, USA | |
| Lunch | ||
| Poster session | ||
| The development of an integrated and sustainable fertiliser recommendation system for Switzerland and its relevance to other countries Frank Liebisch, Agrocscope, Switzerland | Removal of magnesium from phosphate rock Thomas Dethier, Prayon Technologies, Belgium | |
| Reaching production and environmental goals through soil specific potassium fertiliser advice for grassland Thomas McCarthy, Teagasc, Ireland | New developments in the production of urea incorporating sulphur Mark Brouwer, ureaknowhow.com, Netherlands | |
| 17.15 (approx.) | Conference programme ends | |
| 19.15 – c.21.00 | Conference dinner | |
AGRONOMIC TOPICS
Effect of controlled field traffic on greenhouse gas emissions, soil structure and nitrogen use efficiency
Diogenes L. Antille, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Australia
The paper will provide an overview of traffic management systems (namely: ‘random’ traffic, controlled traffic, and low-ground pressure system) highlighting their relative footprints and the importance of confining soil compaction to the least possible area of permanent traffic lanes.
Traffic-induced soil compaction will be examined by focusing on its detrimental effects on soil physical and mechanical properties, and soil structure. Key soil processes and soil function affected by compaction, particularly soil hydrology, will help explain its relationship with biogeochemical processes, soil and fertiliser nitrogen dynamics, GHG emissions, and nitrogen use efficiency.
The paper will synthesise recent (<10 years) research conducted in Australia, United Kingdom and Central Europe, which has demonstrated the potential of controlled traffic farming (CTF) to mitigate soil emissions of greenhouse gases whilst delivering improved crop agronomic performance and environmental outcomes compared with conventional traffic management systems. Collectively, this research indicated that adoption of CTF could reduce total soil emissions by ~30% and improve crop yield by 5-15%, while increasing inter-seasonal yield stability. Emerging technology (alternative to CTF) will be discussed as an intermediate solution for complex mechanisation systems in which controlled traffic cannot be readily adopted.
Co-authors:
Dr Jeff N. Tullberg, Australian Controlled Traffic Farming Association Inc., Brisbane, Australia.
Dr W. C. Tim Chamen, Controlled Traffic Farming Europe Ltd., Shrewsbury, Shropshire, U.K.
Dr Paula A. Misiewicz, Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire, U.K.
Improving the use of liquid farm-based manures in arable farming: Case studies from Germany
Hans-Werner Olfs, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrueck, Germany
The use of organic fertilisers is an important measure to restore or increase soil humus stocks and to recycle nutrients in agricultural production in a useful way. In several regions in Europe, very large amounts of farm-based manure are produced and applied to agricultural land. As a result, a comparatively low use efficiency of the nutrients contained in these organic fertilisers has often been observed in recent decades, with the resulting environmental impacts on non-agricultural ecosystems (e.g. nitrate leaching into groundwater, phosphate losses to surface waters, gaseous N emissions into the atmosphere). An additional problem is the highly variable nutrient concentration in these heterogeneous liquid manures (e.g. caused by different animal species, feeding and husbandry systems). Stricter legal requirements have made it necessary to develop optimised methods for the application of farm-based manures.
Reliable information on plant nutrient concentrations is an important prerequisite for the targeted use of such farm-based fertilisers. The concentrations of various nutrients (e.g. ammonium-N, potassium) can be accurately estimated using simple on-farm methods. On the other hand, the reliability of near-infrared spectroscopy for the characterization of liquid farm manures when filling slurry tankers or during field application is still the subject of controversial discussions.
Due to legal regulations, the use of splash plates for the application of liquid farm-based manures is now restricted, or even prohibited, in some regions of Europe. Farmers have to use a trailing hose system, which significantly decreases gaseous ammonia losses. Further reductions of these NH3 losses are possible by open slot injection or direct incorporation of the slurry into the soil. In addition, deep injection of slurry has been found to reduce nitrate leaching and increase nutrient utilisation efficiency (e.g. phosphorus, manganese and zinc) especially when nitrification inhibitors are added to the slurry. As an alternative technique to reduce ammonia losses, acidification of liquid farm manure is a possible measure.
Conclusions based on the results of the various studies and field trials carried out in Germany regarding the usefulness of these techniques can be transferred to other regions in Europe with comparable production conditions.
Developing a decision support system for the choice of cover crops
Luca Bechini, University of Milan, Italy
Cover crops are gaining increasing attention by farmers, advisors and policy makers in Northern Italy. However, despite the availability of the results of several experiments carried out on cover crops in the past ten years, stakeholders in this region still do not have access to a decision tool to support management choices for these crops.
The aim of our work is therefore to develop a decision support system (DSS) that, based on farm location, crop rotation and manure availability, suggests the best cover crop species that provide one or more agroecological benefits, and indicates their termination date and method.
To compile the rules that the DSS will follow, we have integrated the results of experiments carried out in this region, the results found in the international literature for temperate climates, many results obtained with a cropping system simulation model, and the practical experience of our operational group.
At the conference we will present the results of all the steps of this work. This will include the data that was generated as part of the development process and demonstrate how the model could be applied to the management of cover crops in other regions.
MERCI: a decision-support tool to estimate availability of nitrogen from a wide range of cover crops to the next cash crop
Lionel Jordan-Meille, Agro-sciences, France
Cover crops (CC) provide a green-manure effect, allowing farmers to apply less mineral fertiliser than when a bare soil precedes the main crop. The French regional service for farmers (“Chambre d’Agriculture”) has developed a simple and robust decision-support tool (MERCI, Method to Estimate N Release from Cover crop Introduction, www.methode-merci.fr) to quantify the dynamics of N release for the next crop, as well as providing practical information on global P, K and C balances for soils. The tool is mainly for use by Farmers and their advisors, but is also used for training sessions. It can be applied to a wide range of cover crop species and types of management. The method involves combining a large experimental database on cover crops (> 25000 CC measurements giving allometric plant relationships) with a process-based model (STICS) for N mineralisation and leaching.
Practically, the user only needs to make a fresh matter measurement of each species comprising the cover at its termination; alongside this on-field measurement, supplementary information is required for the sawing date, the location (for climate purpose), the soil type (for potential mineralisation and drainage purposes), and the management of residues (mineralisation kinetics).
Besides enabling the calculation of the net input of mineral N to the following crop, MERCI also calculates the amount of available K and P that will be available to feed the subsequent crop. This amount should, however, not be considered as entirely substitutable to mineral fertilisers, as the minerals uptake and release by cover crops may, eventually, result in a neutral effect for the main crops. Finally, MERCI gives a rough estimation of the stable proportion of the total C input to the soil.
Since the first version of MERCI was developed in 2010, the online version (implemented in 2020) has gathered 3059 registered users in France and Europe (Belgium, Switzerland, UK and Italy), with a total of 61,500 calculations performed (as of 04/06/2024). One third of the users are farmers, another third are advisers, and the others are divided between water quality managers, researchers and teachers. The computations generally concern buried CC, with a crop duration of 133 days and a mean aerial biomass of 3.6 tons. The N uptake by CC reaches, on average, 108 kg/ha, and 39 kg/ha are supposed to be rapidly returned to crops. The quantities of P205 and K20 supposed to be used by the following crops are 20 and 128 kg/ha, respectively. All together, these amounts are approximately equivalent to an annual saving of 140 € per ha. However, although farmers trust the method, their saving of N is twice as low as what they could afford.
Co-authors:
Sébastien Minette, Chambre d’Agriculture Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Lusignan,France
Grégory Vericel, Arvalis Institut du Végétal, Baziège, France
Eric Justes, Research Unit Persyst, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
Maud Sorel, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, France
The development of an integrated and sustainable fertiliser recommendation system for Switzerland and its relevance to other countries
Frank Liebisch, Agrocscope, Switzerland
The official fertiliser recommendation in Switzerland dates back to 1938. Since then the methods, resources and environmental impact of nutrient use in agriculture has changed significantly. Today, we use two site-specific methods: soil sampling and a model-based estimation of crop fertilizer requirements for N and P. However, these methods are not an integral part of Swiss legislation (law enforcement), allowing significant losses to the environment, which cause major environmental and resource problems such as surface water eutrophication and nitrate pollution of drinking water reserves.
Consequently, a better integration of good and best fertilisation practices is one of several challenges for a sustainable nutrient management in Switzerland. The components of a more effective system are 1). digital transformation, closing the gap of information use between field and farm, extension services, legislation and environmental monitoring at national level, 2). Improvements in fertiliser recommendations through better calibration to pedo-climatic conditions, estimation of nutrient release from fertilisers and soils using multi-factorial statistics and models and 3). better integration of spatial and temporal variability by means of precision fertilisation methods and technologies.
The presentation will show several projects and examples from different regional farmer networks, ranging from an intensive agricultural region, in which nitrate levels in ground water have been exceeded for decades, to organically managed alpine farms aiming to incorporate climate neutrality concepts. The examples presented demonstrate approaches to integrate innovative methodologies from science to practice. These approaches range from new statistical methods to IT solutions for user-friendly access and integration of information and methodologies on farm, to multi-stakeholder approaches addressing the above-mentioned challenges in a co-creation process.
In particular, the combination of the critical load concept and good fertilisation practices, together with a robust documentation of nutrient application practices and nutrient balancing of all inputs, is seen as the regional solution towards a better use of resources and a lower environmental impact. Such measures can provide solutions to protect drinking water resources and fulfil national standards while maintaining productivity in regions with fertile soils and traditionally intensive agriculture.
The approach demonstrated is also relevant for other countries and may particularly help with connecting farmers with research, industry and retailers.
Co-authors: Francesco Argento, Elisabeth Tanner, Raphael Wittwer.
Reaching production and environmental goals through soil specific potassium fertiliser advice for grassland
Thomas McCarthy, Teagasc, Ireland
This paper will review the importance of K in enhancing forage yields and quality, along with its relationship with other macronutrients in plant uptake and utilisation, and consider the role and considerations for K in ruminant nutrition. Existing recommendations to optimise yields and K uptake will be summarised, covering cut swards vs grazed swards, along with the various sources of K (chemical and organic fertilisers) and the rate and timing of application.
It will then discuss the reasons why there is a need to review K advice to grasslands, focusing on variations in soil K dynamics across different types, which inherent soil characteristics influence soil K dynamics, and how, and review how generic soil K fertilisation recommendations stand up against soil specific findings.
The findings of recent research will be presented, covering soil specificity and the role of cation exchange capacity in regulating labile-soil K in temperate grassland soils, the influence of soil specificity on potassium balances, losses and herbage production in temperate grassland soils, the role of soil K fertility on herbage yield and quality in a simulated grassland grazing sward, potassium fertilisation strategies on grass-clover swards, effects on yield, herbage quality and sward clover persistence, and long-term farm-gate K balances on a grassland-clover based dairy farm on a clay loam soil.
The conclusions of this work for K recommendations will be summarised, along with its implications for updating agronomic advice in Ireland and elsewhere.
FERTILISER PRODUCTION TOPICS
Fertiliser production and process safety: major PS challenges caused by a less stable world
Vincent Duponchel, Yara Belgium S.A.
Even if they have not been triggered by our industry, many changes in the world will impact us. This is a short listing of the global trends that will impact the way we manage our operation and must be properly assessed and acted upon
- People: How to ensure competence continuity? Training must be in accordance with the mind set of Generation Z – but also their approach to work-life balance and a lower loyalty to their company.
- Planet: Are we ready for climate change? We must consider the impact of more severe weather conditions on equipment that has not been designed for them, from the air conditioning system of our control room, to the ability of civil structures to resist forces such as high winds and flooding. How should we proactively review such risks?
- Product: Are we sufficiently considering the impact of new equipment, processes and products in our entire supply chain: from product compatibility to raw materials with different specifications?
- Parasites: How do we maintain our cyber-safety integrity when we use more and more connectivity in our operations? We see connectivity as an advantage for operations, by getting information from our units, but this is also an opportunity for hackers who would like to enter our control and safety systems.
This will be the inaugural presentation by the winner of the Kish Shah Award for outstanding contributions to the advancement of health, safety, environmental and security aspects of the nitrogen fertiliser industry.
How to shape low carbon fertiliser production in Europe
Ruud Swarts, OCI Nitrogen, Netherlands
The production and use of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers have a significant contribution in climate change. Ammonia production is relatively simple to decarbonise from a conceptual point of view, when taking the techno-economical aspects into consideration, it becomes hard to abate. In this presentation, different pathways to low(er)-carbon ammonia will be compared.
With Europe having one of the strictest policies on emission reduction, there is a strong need for producers to adapt in the upcoming decade. The differences in local situation can have a large impact on the optimal pathway for each producer. Where one will implement CCS, someone else could turn to green hydrogen (from electrolysis) or seize local production and change to ammonia imports from outside the EU. We will discuss some of the key aspects in the decision making.
Using an ammonia facility connected to downstream fertilizer production as an example, the technical challenges towards an increasing share of low(er)-carbon hydrogen will be discussed. Can the existing facilities be repurposed or does it make more sense to invest in brand new installations on site or abroad?
Removal of magnesium from phosphate rock
Thomas Dethier, Prayon Technologies, Belgium
Recently, the price of the high-grade rocks (MER<0.08) and MgO lower than 0.6% to produce phosphoric acid has significantly increased. Industry is therefore forced to use low grade rocks which complexifies the phosphoric acid and fertilizer production. Prayon has developed a chemical beneficiation which can be added between the existing mechanical beneficiation and the phosphoric acid plant. This beneficiation will permit using rock with MER until 0.22, MgO content until and beyond 3.5% to produce a high grade of fertilizer such NPK, MAP, DAP, NPS.
The effect of the magnesium on the phosphoric acid and fertilizer production are well-known:
- increase the viscosity of the final phosphoric acid
- Reduce the yield
- Decrease the growing efficiency of the crystals
- Decrease the quality of the DAP and NPK
Prayon, in collaboration with Eurochem, developed a chemical beneficiation, called Mg leaching. This process consists of the solubilization of the dolomite with an acid. A soft attack with a mineral acid generates the leaching of the magnesium, in other words, the Mg pass from the rock to the liquid. The acid attack is soft enough to avoid that P2O5 following the same path. The rock without magnesium can continue his journey to the phosphoric acid plant without required any more treatment. This partial attack consumes a low quantity of acid and generates no effluent, only valorized products.
This patented process able Prayon to offer:
- P2O5 yield up to 98.5%
- MgO removal rate up to 70%
- Use rock with at least 3.5% MgO (in 24% P2O5)
This high sustainable process, generating no effluents, allow fertilizer and phosphoric acid producers to increase their potential raw material supplier.
Gypsum Regeneration with Clean Energy in the Fertiliser Industry
Ricardo L. Sepulveda, Pegasus TSI, USA
Sulphuric acid is used in the manufacture of phosphoric acid, which is produced in a fertiliser complex. A byproduct of sulphuric acid production is high pressure steam used for electrical power generation and to provide a heat source for fertiliser production. New developments in optimising sulphuric acid plants, like adding Heat Recovery Systems (HRS) to existing Double Contact, Double Absorption Plants, provide additional medium pressure steam generation to allow the production of Clean Energy.
Other developments in fertiliser production have the potential to produce a clean gypsum from the phosphoric acid process, which could be calcined to recover sulphur for sulfuric acid production.
This study will review the technical and economic feasibility of using clean energy from the sulphuric acid production to calcine clean gypsum to produce SO2 and CaO. The SO2 can be fed into the existing sulphuric acid plant to produce sulphuric acid. The CaO by-product can be commercialised as a high quality lime raw material with a low carbon footprint.
Gypsum Utilisation in the Phosphoric Acid Industry: A Path to Sustainability
Tibaut Theys, Prayon Technologies, Belgium
The fertilizer industry is steadily evolving, embracing sustainability as a priority. In the phosphoric acid sector, innovative approaches are transforming by-products like gypsum from waste into valuable resources. Across the globe, countries are leading by example. In India, gypsum is widely used in cement production and agriculture, while in Brazil, it is nearly exclusively applied in farming. Some companies are exploring gypsum as a source of critical materials, from radium for cancer treatments to rare earth elements for batteries. China has gone further by making gypsum valorization mandatory, resulting in creative applications in road construction, mine rehabilitation, and even packaging production. These efforts demonstrate our industry’s commitment to sustainability and offer promising solutions for future generations.
This presentation will review the current state of play regarding the management and usage of by-product gypsum. Two particular areas of focus will be recent developments to improve the quality of gypsum being added to the storage stacks, and new ways to enable wider productive use of the legacy gypsum that is already in the stacks.
New developments in the production of urea incorporating sulphur
Mark Brouwer, ureaknowhow.com, Netherlands
Sulphur deficiency occurs widely in many parts of the world, driven by several causes: reduced use of Single Super Phosphate which contains gypsum (CaSO4); Sulphur being removed from fields due to increasing yields and declining soil reserves due to erosion and leaching; emissions of sulphur dioxide from burning fossil fuels have provided a large sulphur input to soil, as both rain and deposition of dust. With reduced emissions, deficiencies are increasing. As a result fertilisers enriched with sulphur are now more commonly used to correct sulphur deficiencies.
A better source of sulphur may be Ammonium Sulphate (AS), which makes the sulphur available in a form that can be directly taken up by plants. By itself, AS is less attractive as a fertiliser due to its relatively low nitrogen content (21%) and its high sulphur content. But by combining ammonium sulphate with urea, it is possible to produce fertilisers with nitrogen and sulphur concentrations suited to the specific requirements of crops. Thus, for example, by combining the components in a Urea / AS weight ratio of about 4/1, a fertiliser can be obtained which contains about 40% N and about 5% S, and is very suitable for many fertilising purposes.
Urea fertiliser is characterized by significant loss (up to 70%) due to the high mobility in the environment. The main problems associated with low Nutrient Use Efficiency have a significant impact on climate change and possible environmental toxicity, eutrophication and nitrate pollution, ozone and air quality degradation, and emissions of greenhouse gases.
A N+S fertilizer can enhance the utilisation rate of nitrogen due to their well-known synergy; plants need sufficient levels of sulphur to be able to utilise nitrogen efficiently. Together, nitrogen and sulphur are vital building blocks for protein, so N and S should be applied at the same time.
The challenge when adding AS to urea melt is its limited solubility and thus for high N/S ratios a slurry needs to be handled. With S the challenge is different but not any easier. This paper will describe which production technologies are available to produce these high value N+S fertilisers and which references are already available for each. Also new, upcoming production technologies will be presented.
Friday 13th December 2024
On Friday there will be two presentations for delegates interested in crop nutrition, two for those interested in fertiliser production, and one presentation and a discussion panel of interest to all delegates.
| Friday 13th December 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| MAIN AUDITORIUM PRESENTATIONS | UMNEY THEATRE PRESENTATIONS | |
| 9.00 | Conference program starts | |
| Transformative impact of balanced nutrition on sustainable crop production and soil health in a 65-year-old long-term trial in Germany Melkamu Jate, Yara Hanninghof Research Center, Germany | Pushing the limits of Secondary N2O abatement Andre de Smet, Yara Sluiskil B.V., The Netherlands | |
| Management choices in cereal production: lessons from the Broadbalk long term trial Paul Poulton, Rothamsted Research, UK | Advanced Process Control in fertiliser production Knut Wiig Mathisen, Yara International, Norway | |
| Tea / coffee break | ||
| Crop nutrient products, practices and environment – where now for the IFS and its Members? Steve Hallam, IFS Secretary, and Tim Kerr, IFS Council | - | |
| Panel discussion - The innovations that the fertiliser / crop nutrition industry needs to meet the challenges it faces | - | |
| 13.00 (approx.) | Conference program ends | |
| Lunch | ||
| 14.00 – 15.30 | Guided walking tour of historic Cambridge | |
CROP NUTRITION TOPICS
Transformative impact of balanced nutrition on sustainable crop production and soil health in a 65-year-old long-term trial in Germany
Melkamu Jate, Yara Hanninghof Research Center, Germany
Yara’s Hanninghof long-term trial (LTT) was established in 1958 on loamy sand soil located in Duelmen, Germany, to study the long-term effects of different nutrient application strategies on sustainable crop production and soil health. It started with planting of potato on 24th April 1958 followed by winter rye seeding on 22nd October 1958 and oat seeding on 22nd March 1960. Since 2009, maize has been included in crop rotation as a replacement for oat. Potato-cereal rotation is a common crop rotation in the area. The potato, winter rye, oat, and maize were cultivated respectively 19, 23, 17, and 6 times during 1958 – 2023.
This paper will present the results of the 65 years study, using a comparative analysis of the different fertiliser application approaches: control (without any fertiliser), farmyard manure (FYM) alone as organic fertiliser (organic nutrition), mineral fertiliser N+P+K+Mg application as balanced nutrition, omitting one or more nutrients from the mineral fertiliser, and both FYM and mineral fertiliser together as integrated nutrition. Treatments without any fertiliser, P+K alone, N without P+K+Mg, and only FYM will be included as unbalanced nutrition.
The transformative impact of balanced nutrition on crop yield, revenue, resource use efficiency and soil health will be evaluated in comparison to omitting nutrient or application of FYM alone. Balanced nutrition with application of N+P+K+Mg mineral fertiliser alone or in combination with FYM resulted in higher crop yield and revenue, rapidly increasing yield trend, more stability of crop yield over time, and increased nutrient, water and land use efficiencies as well as improved soil health in comparison to the unbalanced nutrition.
The results clearly demonstrate a key role of balanced nutrition to increase crop production per area on a long-term with low environmental footprints on ecosystems and soils.
Management choices in cereal production: lessons from the Broadbalk long term wheat experiment
Paul Poulton, Rothamsted Research, UK
The Broadbalk Wheat Experiment continues to provide information essential for our understanding of the long-term viability and development of agricultural systems. Results from the early years of the experiment helped lay the foundations for modern agriculture.
This presentation brings up to date the main lessons that continue to be derived from this experiment and relates these to current and developing practical advice on cereal nutrition and soil management.
Losses of N and P in drainage are also examined, as is the use of archived samples to monitor atmospheric inputs, to track changes in the mineral composition of grain and to help construct models describing the turnover of soil organic matter.
Co-authors:
Andrew S. Gregory, David S. Powlson, Margaret J. Glendining, A. E. “Johnny” Johnston, Rodger P. White, Suzanne J. Clark, Wendy S. Wilmer and Andy J. Macdonald.
PRODUCTION TOPICS
Pushing the limits of Secondary N2O abatement
Andre de Smet, Yara Sluiskil B.V., The Netherlands
In Yara’s journey towards becoming Climate Neutral in 2050, a big potential for reducing Green House Gases was identified in further lowering the N2O emissions in Yara’s nitric acid plants.
To accommodate sufficient volume for Yara’s own developed secondary N2O abatement catalyst in the ammonia oxidizers, Yara selected the plants with the highest N2O reduction potential and choose case by case the optimum solution, being a full replacement of the ammonia oxidizer including incorporated steam boiler and superheater and/or tail gas heater or a revamp of existing ammonia oxidizers.
Abatement levels of more than 99% can be achieved by using Yara’s secondary abatement catalyst. The sustainability of these very low emissions is achieved by a structured plants’ emission reporting program, follow up of the catalyst performance, inspection and proper maintenance of the catalyst containment. In case the emissions deviate largely from the KPI’s, RCA’s are performed and mitigating actions or permanent solutions are identified and planned for implementation.
Advanced Process Control in fertiliser production
Knut Wiig Mathisen, Yara International, Norway
Advanced Process Control (APC) has been implemented in Yara’s fertiliser plants for twenty years. APC, as a supervisory controller, is implemented on top of the regulatory distributed control system (DCS) in the plant to increase production and/or improve energy, emission, or quality performance.
The APC system is a multivariable, model-based controller that uses the model predictive control algorithm. It is a three-stage receding horizon controller where each stage (prediction, steady-state optimisation, and dynamic optimisation); is fully repeated each minute over the prediction and control horizon of several hours. Being developed within the chemical process industry, the method is robust and handles process constraints and operating issues well.
APC is today implemented in most of our ammonia and urea plants, many nitric acid plants, and several finished fertiliser plants, in both the liquid/wet/solution and the solid/dry/granulation sections. The total number of APC plant installations in Yara is 35. While continuing to implement APC in new plants, we have also reconfigured and improved the performance of older APC applications. Recent work includes developing and integrating non-linear plant-wide optimisation models to further enhance the performance of the APC system.
In general, project benefits have been good or excellent with short payback time, and APC is accepted and established as part of best practice in Yara plant operation. Still, the performance of the APC applications varies a lot, and some applications have been switched off in periods for various reasons. We have intensified the work to revise project procedures, identify risk factors and avoid pitfalls and improve maintenance routines.
The presentation describes how APC is implemented in Yara through two concrete project and plant examples, one from ammonia and one from granulation. Best practice and lessons learnt related to software/technology and project procedures/organization will be described and discussed.
JOINT PRESENTATION
Crop nutrient products, practices and context – where now for the IFS and its Members?
Steve Hallam, IFS Secretary, and Tim Kerr, IFS Council
The development, production, supply and usage of crop nutrition products – and the world in which they are used and advised upon – is facing a period of increased change and, therefore, turbulence. This is being driven by the development of new science and technologies, combined with pressures to improve efficiency and reduce wastage, as well as the environmental impacts of the wider industry, from factory to farm. As this happens, our world is becoming more dynamic and complex ; new and challenging processes and materials will need to be mastered and incorporated. In turn, this will result in more, and more complicated, information to be tracked, evaluated, assimilated and applied, in an increasingly busy world.
In common with the agricultural industry as a whole, these trends, and the challenges that they will pose to us all, have implications for the role and activities of the International Fertiliser Society. How well placed is it to support its Members (and potential Members) as you cope with the new informational challenges that are coming towards you? Should it continue as now or should it re-evaluate what it does, and how it does it, to adapt to what could be a markedly different and changing arena of products, practices and environment?
This session will consider these issues. We will present the thoughts of Society and Council members on what these changes could mean for the Society, and how it should operate in the future. Delegates will be invited to contribute their views, to help shape the next phase of development of the Society.
Panel discussion – The innovations that the fertiliser / crop nutrition industry needs to meet the challenges it faces
Chair: Tim Kerr, IFS Council
Panellists:
Simon Inglethorpe, Editor, Fertilizer International, UK
Sarah Kendal, Associate Managing Director, Sustainable Agricultural Systems, ADAS, UK.
Joe Stanley, Head of Sustainable Farming, GWCT Allerton Project, UK
Debby van Rotterdam, Nutriënten Management Instituut BV, Netherlands.
Each panellist will make a short presentation on this topic, from their different perspectives, before the discussion is opened to questions from the physical and virtual floor.