Source: Radio New Zealand
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts and co-founder and managing director Bruce Smith, during a tour of the new nitrogen fertiliser plant in Taupō. Abby Dance-The Photographer
A new fertiliser manufacturing facility aims to improve on-farm efficiencies and reduce environmental impacts through its use of new slow release technology.
Tnue’s new facility – the only of its kind in New Zealand – was officially opened by Agriculture Minister Todd McClay on Friday.
Using geothermal energy, Tnue (Total Nutrient Use Efficiency) produces a controlled-release nitrogen fertiliser that works to improve on-farm efficiencies, while reducing the environmental impacts.
Co-founder and managing director Bruce Smith said it worked by releasing the nitrogen progressively over about three months – rather than all at once like regular fertilisers.
He said this reduces the time and diesel spent spreading urea, while mitigating nitrogen losses from leaching
“The controlled release fertiliser is a membrane that we apply encapsulating the urea granule in particular. That controls the release of urea granule and requires mainly temperature for that activate and the urea releases out through the membrane over a given period – normally between 60 to 90 days depending on soil temperatures.
Located at the business park in Taupō, it’s New Zealand’s first low emissions plant. Abby Dance-The Photographer
“Normally when you’re putting on urea its gonna last 20 to 30 day and they repeat the round of urea. This way they can every third round.”
Additionally, Smith said the constant, progressive release also meant the pasture will not run out of nitrogen as it prevents leaching occurring particularly after heavy rainfall – farmers can apply the controlled release product when ground conditions allow, rather than chasing narrow application windows.
“It does protect the nitrogen from leaching into waterways. It also means that because it’s controlled release it can mitigate to a large degree the greenhouse gas effect that can occur with rapid release product.”
Smith said it would help give New Zealand farmers greater certainty over price, supply and on-farm performance at a time when they faced heightened uncertainty due to global urea supply lines out of the Middle East being disrupted.
“Having the resource to apply controlled release technology to fertiliser right here gives New Zealand farmers greater certainty over price, supply and on-farm performance. It is a timely and important development for our farmers and food and fibre exports.”
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
