This year, users of CAN will have another choice in the N source they can apply. For all those who do not use urea due to the fear of nitrogen losses, the availability of Koch’s KaN could provide a real alternative.

This is a 46%N (nitrogen) urea, so there are fewer tonnes to be handled to supply the required amount of nitrogen fertilizer. KaN is a stabilised form of urea using Agrotain to prevent loss as ammonia and is said to present a much lower risk of volatilisation or gaseous loss than standard urea.

Being a more concentrated N source, there is less transport required and, also, less spreading time on farm. These things combine to give it a lower carbon footprint than CAN. The product is being trialled by Teagasc and is seen more of a competitor for CAN than for straight urea. It will be priced accordingly to offer a slight per-unit cost advantage over CAN. The product is being sold by Advanced Fertilizers.

ADVERTISEMENT

Brian Wade of Koch said recently that urea is 74% of the N market globally and it is only 10% in Ireland, a damper climate than many other parts of the world. Brian explained that once a urea granule dissolves in the soil, it will be hydrolysed into ammonium (NH4+).

As this process takes place, it has the effect of increasing soil pH in the soil around the urea granule. The high pH can cause the ammonium to convert to ammonia (NH3) gas and be lost to the air.

The presence of Agrotain significantly reduces this pH rise and, so, is said to reduce loss of ammonia as a result.

Brian said that CAN can also have gaseous losses but, in this case, the loss is as nitrous oxides and these are more serious greenhouse gas pollutants.