A Carbon revolution
How a new nitrogen technology promises to reduce carbon footprint of growing crops ...
We all know the adage ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ which states that the primary driving force for most new inventions is a need. This has never been more pertinent as the industry has been pushed into looking at a ‘new relationship with nitrogen’ due to escalating costs and the carbon footprint of bagged fertilisers.
Synthetic nitrogen is a cause of greenhouse gas emissions because of the large carbon footprint during manufacturing and emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) after application, which is 265 times worse than CO2, contributing significantly to climate change.
“Prices may have fallen from 2022’s highs but there is still a drive to optimise nitrogen rates linked to the broader recognition that nitrogen fertilisers are the largest contributors to the carbon footprint of crops and how to tackle climate change linked to fertiliser use,” says Tim Kerr, nutrition expert with crop productions specialists Hutchinsons.
“As a business we have invested in extensive trials across our regional technology centres and Helix farms looking at possible solutions and ways of addressing nitrogen use through optimising soil health and the use of organic manures, cover cropping, and alternatives to synthetic nitrogen,” he says.
“For example we know from our work at our Helix farms in Suffolk and North Yorkshire, that by using foliar applications of nitrogen in the form of methylated-ureas it is possible to cut back nitrogen rates by about 30kg/ha, with no detrimental impact on yield.”
“This is all useful and shows that new technologies can help reduce our reliance on bagged nitrogen. One of the products Hutchinsons is currently evaluating is a new technology to come to market, R-leaf.”
“R-leaf is based on photocatalysis that capture air pollution and turn it into nitrogen fertiliser for plants.”
Dr Apostolos Papadopoulos, crop and soil scientist, with R & D company Crop Intellect, responsible for bringing the product to market, explains: “Once applied to the plant foliage, R-leaf works by using daylight to enable breakdown of nitrous oxides to nitrate that plants can take up as feed.”
He claims “R-leaf removes the equivalent of 5.4t CO2/year if used at a rate of 2l/ha over 2 applications which is validated by the Climate Impact Forecast tool, supported by the European Innovation Council.”
According to Dr Papadopoulos not only does R-leaf remove nitrous oxide from the atmosphere, he shares results from independent farm-scale trials in Lincolnshire that when used on cereals, R-leaf performed better when the nitrogen application was reduced by 25%, compared to the standard farm practice.
He also cites work where grass treated with R-leaf grew 13% more than the untreated in over one week after application. “We put this down to a higher intake of nitrates by plants which in turn increased chlorophyll content.”
“So the product works at two levels,” he points out. “Firstly absorbing nitrous oxides from the atmosphere and secondly reducing the amount of synthetic nitrogen needed by the plant.”
“R-leaf could offer a step forward in helping farmers reduce synthetic nitrogen use and increase profitability – a win-win,” says Mr Kerr. “There are also ‘softer’ benefits to consider such as to the soils, as less synthetic nitrogen is applied.”
“It is really exciting to see this level of innovation in our industry, and as a business we are delighted to be in a first-hand position to be testing R-leaf in our own trials to gain confidence in the product before we offer it to our customers,” he says.
How is R-leaf used?
“R-Leaf is a simple to use formulation added to the spray tank which also contains manganese, molybdenum and zinc,” explains Dr Apostolos Papadopoulos.
“At the recommended application rate of 1l/ha for Cereals, the most appropriate application timing is at both T1 and T2 as this is when the soil applied nitrogen is starting to produce nitrous oxide and when the foliage is adequate to hold R-leaf.”
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