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No Way Jose...Ammonia at $100 to $300 per ton...for 7 years.
 Calculations based on Bloomberg.

Glossary of Terms  

Greenhouse Gas, GHG: Three types of greenhouse gas, from carbon dioxide to methane to nitrous oxide, have combined to form the climate change dilemma currently challenging our planet. The ice caps at both ends of the planet are melting at a rapid rate. The oceans are warming, and the sea level is changing. The loss of primary agricultural production areas is proposed by scientists. The conclusion is that the overheated planet will no longer be able to sustain life as we know it in another 100 years.  

CO2, Carbon Dioxide: At 72% of the total, CO2 is the primary gas in the total GHG by weight. Too much carbon is now in the air, heating or trapping heat. CO2 comes primarily from fossil fuel for power, industrial process, and transportation. It also comes from the mining and processing of fossil fuel and the burning of biomass.   

CH4, Methane: The primary gas in natural gas, CH4 results in 20% of the GHG problem. Natural gas has 18 additional gases that are removed in processing plants before entering the pipeline.  

  • Another source of CH4 is the belching rumen of the bovine herds in feedlots, about 12 million of the total 105 million cattle in the U.S. The U.S. cattle herd is about the same mass as our original buffalo herd, which weighed about twice as much as feedlot cattle headed to slaughter. The emission from the bovine cattle herd is not quite as bad as we might think. The full accounting must include the wildlife that has been removed from wolf packs, elk herds, deer herds, moose and bears that emit CH4. Sheep herds have been reduced.  
     
  • Yet another source of methane and 18 other gases to make methane is oil, gas, and coal production. The mining and handling retrieval of methane results in a 34.5% loss to the environment of 20% total contribution.
     
  • Humans also provide methane, which is normally harvested for power in cities at sewage plants.

N2O, Nitrous Oxide: Highly potent, one molecule of N2O is equivalent to 300 molecules of CO2. The primary source is agricultural production of fertilized crops at 62.5%.  

  • N2O is a nasty material produced by Nitrosomonas bacteria. It contributes to 5% of all GHG but is 300 times more potent than CO2 in the environment. Large amounts of nitrogen applied increase the potential for nitrous oxide. Surface-applied nitrogen, shallow-applied nitrogen at seed row depth, and nitrogen tillage incorporated at the 2-inch to 4-inch depth produces high potential for nitrous oxide. A large additional problem of improperly timed nutrients such as nitrogen and the combined nitrogen complexes of phosphate, potassium and sulfur are easily lost to the environment if they are not banded deep in the soil at the right time. No-tillage, cover cropping helps to reduce N2O emission. No-tillage is another way to help reduce N2O emission by improving root channels and drainage.
     
  • To reduce nitrous oxide emission, the nitrogen band centers or spaces between bands must be optimized. The bands of TAPPKTS+Zn,Mn have proven to be best on 15-inch centers. The deep band centers of 10-inch to 30-inch are also used to allow crop roots to access nutrients at emergence. As proven around North America, No-till Single Disc P-51C banding works well. The nutrients are in narrow vermiculated band widths of 3/8 inch. The bands being deeper in the soil in an anaerobic zone (low oxygen) at 6 to 8 inches makes nutrients highly crop available for present and future crops. As tested, fewer nutrients are required at 1% CV uniformity of application. Several Exactrix TAPPKTS+ Zn,Mn banding programs have allowed nitrogen to be 166% more crop available and phosphate 200% more crop available.
     
  • The NPKS surface-applied and shallow-applied nitrogen and phosphate nutrients are over applied due to lack of efficiency and can result in loss to the atmosphere. Mobile nitrate NO3 moves directly into the drinking water. Runoff can also occur with surface-applied phosphate, such as the Lake Erie problem with floral blooms. A Nitrosomonas bacteria driven process of nitrification occurs in the soil to produce N2O. The natural nitrification process produces negative valence mobile nitrate NO3- to follow the water flow downward and outward in the soil profile.    

Formation of Nitrous Oxide: Making nitrous oxide involves two steps. NH4 is converted to NO2 nitrite by Nitrosomonas. The Nitrosomonas can also do back-door reprocesses of nitrite NO2 to form nitrous oxide. The bacterium can shift gears and take a different path under low oxygen, wet soils, to form N2O or nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide requires a very wet soil to saturated soil to formulate N2O nitrous oxide from NO2 nitrite. Heavy rains, over irrigation, over application of N, and poor soil drainage facilitate the problem when the nitrite conversion NO2 has started. Nitrite NO2 in combination with Nitrosomonas in wet soil conditions converts to N2O nitrous oxide and moves to the atmosphere since it is a gaseous material and much lighter than water.  

Green Play Ammonia™, NH3: Three atoms of hydrogen are sourced from water and one atom of nitrogen is sourced from the atmosphere. The atoms are high pressure and temperature processed into 82.5% nitrogen and 17.5% hydrogen as pure Anhydrous Ammonia. The hydrogen H2 is released from the electrolysis of H2O. The oxygen O2 goes back into the atmosphere and hydrogen H2 is captured. The H2 hydrogen is used in a German Haber Bosch process. The H2 is a syngas of the purest original type. No fossil fuels are used to build Green Play Ammonia, and no sulfur products and additional gases need to be removed. The original manufacture of all industrial and metallurgical Anhydrous Ammonia was done with electrolysis from hydroelectric dams. Yara is the largest ammonia manufacturer in the world and originally started with hydroelectric dams in Norway. The same is true of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which started in World War 1 with Wilson Dam on the Tennessee River at Muscle Shoals. Approximately 10,500 KW are required to build one short ton of ammonia.  

Yielder® NFuel Energy: Used as a registered trademark of Exactrix® Global Systems, the NFuel refers to energy sourced from NH3. About 50% of the plants’ Green Play Ammonia production is utilized for the energy market. The energy levels in ammonia are clean and devoid of carbon. NH3 is one of the best materials on earth for reducing GHG and cooling the planet. Green Play Ammonia can now be used in Selective Catalytic Reaction (SCR) in coal-fired power plants to shave out emissions. The diesel engine can be dual fueled with Green Play Ammonia. A hydrogen cracker can be added to run a strong 20% hydrogen mix into the diesel engine. Fueling can be inclusive of Green Play Bio Diesel from soybeans or canola. The dual markets of energy and crop production allow even greater economic results and lower risk.  

Anhydrous Ammonia: NH3 is the second largest industrial process in the world behind sulfuric acid production. Ammonia production was developed in 1908 through 1910 by chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch at Max Planck Institute in Berlin. Albert Einstein was good friends with Fritz Haber, which provides a moment of serendipity when these two giants began thinking about how to build the critical material. Ammonia was further perfected on an industrial scale by Carl Bosch (BASF) at Ludwigshafen, Germany in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Ludwigshafen lost about two-thirds of its population in World War 2, and it was a major contributor to the Nazi war machine.  

  • During the 1930’s to 1945, ammonia was directly applied to the land at experiment stations in Mississippi and Shell Chemical Company in California. NH3 was bubbled into furrow irrigation water in Orange groves of California in the 1940’s. Ammonia became a West Coast phenomenon whereby it was shank applied pre-plant on black summer fallow fields that were totally devoid of surface organic matter. In fact, the NH3 applicator tanks were physically changed when the tank on the applicator went empty. Ammonia drove away the alfalfa rotation of the West Coast, and by 1955 to 1959, alfalfa was phased out of rotation, creating massive wind-blown and water soil erosion in the West. By 2018, 175 metric tons of NH3 were produced. China produced the most NH3 in the world at 44 million metric tons. China’s 80 ammonia plants only use natural gas in 16 plants. In its other 64 plants, the China production scheme is to use coal, which emits two tons of CO2 per ton of ammonia. Natural gas is about half at just over one ton CO2 per ton of ammonia. Green Play Ammonia is zero tons.
     
  • The fossil fuel ammonia plants produce 1.8% of the CO2 total emission into the atmosphere. Ammonia is not a carcinogen, but it is an inhalation hazard and should be handled by experienced personnel. It is not listed as explosive and is therefore much safer to use than hydrogen, propane and natural gas.
     
  • Without Anhydrous Ammonia, our planet can support only one-third of the population, or 2.1 billion people. How critical is NH3 to our 7.8 billion population? Roughly two-thirds of the planet population would be a stranded and starving colony of 5.7 billion humans. This starving colony would not be able to sustain itself without NH3 to improve the food supply. As you watch an NFL football game, you will begin to understand that only one-third of the stadium attendees have a seat and can afford a ticket. About two-thirds of the stadium is empty. NH3 is critical to our society as we know it today. 

Directly Applied Anhydrous Ammonia: NH3 is directly applied to soil in North America as a general means to apply the next crop year nutrients in the spring, summer and fall work period. The material is stable in the soil and allows advance application up to 18 months ahead of crop need. It is further stabilized by dual application of Thio-sul®, KTS® and TraFix Zn, Mn. Anhydrous Ammonia and Aqua Ammonia are the only primary nitrogen products that can be applied in the fall period before winter sets in. NH4 is always crop available. Ammonia properly applied is stable in the soil. The NH3 is Exactrix® dual applied with P, K and Thio-sul® or Ammonium Thio-sulfates, Zinc Sulfates and Zinc Acetates Mn sulfates when fall banding. If Roundup is applied in pre-plant or Chem-fallow treatments, Mn can be sequestered. The nutrient mix should include Mn to overcome the Roundup attraction to manganese and calcium at the soil surface.  

  • The fall NH3 banding produces high efficiency with snow melt moisture evenly percolated into the No-tillage soils. The early spring nutrients and late spring side dressing of NPKS and Zn nutrients are dual applied with NH3 at a typical 3-to-1 ratio of nitrogen to P and K. NH3 is also directly applied at time of seeding in winter and spring wheat and winter and spring barley production. For spring canola, NH3 is fall applied pre-plant banded. NH3 is also spring applied prior to seeding of canola at time of seeding in Canada. It can also be single disc applied following seeding to spring canola in Canada. NH3 as TAPPS and TAPPKTS, Zn, Mn can also be pre-plant indexed directly under each canola row using RTK guidance on 10-inch and 12-inch centers.
     
  • Since farms are large in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Anhydrous Ammonia is preferred because of the long distance and low transport cost. The preferred material NH3 is also applied after the harvest of winter wheat in June in Kansas, allowing a double crop of soybeans under dryland and irrigated Kansas conditions. Sunflowers are also a double cropped or two crops in one production year crop, using Anhydrous Ammonia following a winter wheat harvest. The TAPPKTS product is single disc No-till banded directly into the winter wheat stubble in June and July.  Almost all cotton production is done with NH3 since cotton does not respond well to second-tier and third-tier products Urea and URAN Solution 32 and UAN Solution 28, which is 25% nitrate nitrogen. Sugar beets also prefer NH3 directly applied at 1% CV as less molasses is generated. The sugar beet plant is much more efficient with ammonia than nitrate.
     
  • Directly applied, 82.4% nitrogen allows millions of acres to be planted in a timely manner without the constantly refilling of Urea at 46% N, Uran at 32% N, and Uan at 28% N. Directly applied ammonia must be banded deep in the soil in tight, narrow bands of single-disc, No-tillage openers such as Mustang P-51C openers. The Exactrix high-pressure NH3 applied at 1% CV (Coefficient of Variation) with multiple ports of application in liquid streaming flows is therefore much more crop available and truly more efficient. An 18% energy loss occurs if plants must step nitrate back to ammonium or NH4. All commercial crops prefer ammonium since there are fewer disease problems by a factor of 35 to 45 times.

Triple Super Ammonization. Ammoniated Phosphate: During this process, three parts Ammonia N are reacted with one-part phosphate. The analysis would be 120-40-0 to as low as 30-10-0. This dual-product process can only occur in the soil. If applied to the surface, the product would be lost to the atmosphere. The process equipment requires two meters, a 2KC Mass Flow, NH3 high-pressure injector and a 2KM liquid pressure injector. The two injection points do not freeze or bond to the injection equipment. Ammonia 82-0-0 is injected into the flow of the polyphosphate. Ammonium polyphosphate is 10-34-0, while ammonium phosphate is 11-48-0 to 11-55-0 and both are typically safe in the seed row. Diammonium phosphate, DAP, is 18-46-0 and has twice as much free ammonia as single ammoniated phosphate. Diammonium phosphate is a broadcast material and must be used very carefully in the seed row. It not used in high pH 7.5 and greater soils.  

Ammonium Polyphosphate. 10-34-0 and 11-37-0: 10-34-0 at 1.4 lbs. N and 3.89 lbs. P per gallon weighing 11.7 lbs per gallon as 10-34-0, 11-37-0 is also common in the western U.S. and is 12 lbs. per gallon. 

  • Ammonium Polyphosphate, APP, is rated as the greatest development of phosphate application and high plant utilization efficiency. The ammonium polyphosphate advanced material was developed simultaneously by the Tennessee Valley Authority and Shell Chemical in 1965. Since then, 30,000-gallon rail cars of ammonia and 30,000-gallon super phosphate black acid rail cars are shipped direct from the factory to the fertilizer dealer for the TVA, Shell reaction process in a cross tube reactor. This lowers cost and allows good profit margins for the fertilizer dealer by not transporting water.
     
  • The reactor brings 82% N ammonia, water and the more viscous 0-68-0 black phosphoric acid together at 750 degrees F to produce a clear, 100 mesh filtered material. The polymer portion of the 10-34-0 is used to carry micronutrient metals like zinc or manganese. The material is 70% polymer and 30% ortho. The 70% polymer carries the metals or micronutrients like zinc and manganese at a 12-to-1 ratio or greater depending on temperature. Thus, a homogenous delivery of micronutrients in a streaming liquid flow at pressures to 300 psi allows plants to absorb micronutrients at low cost rates.
     
  • Ammonium polyphosphate should not be stored in warm temperatures above 85 degrees F. It should be applied immediately, or it can be stored well at temperatures below 85 degrees F. The clean, locally reacted product, APP, 10-34-0 is typically used within 30 days of manufacture. Triple super ammonization of ammonium polyphosphate in the soil results in a higher pH of 9.5. This allows the plant roots to find the placed P and flourish in the diffusion zone around the placed P. At this high 9.5 pH, the metal calcium will not be able to sequester the placed ammonium polyphosphate. The same is true in very low pH soils of 4.5 to 5.5 pH where aluminum, iron and magnesium will not sequester the placed ammonium polyphosphate. Thus, when combined with NH3, 82-0-0 in the soil, the 10-34-0 polyphosphate results in a column of protected and crystallized nutrients, whereby placed P with micronutrients remains crop available for many years at banded depths of 6 to 8 inches.

Phosphate Chemistry: Phosphate is 100 times more reactive than ammonia nitrogen. Phosphoric acid is used to etch and clean steel in metal processing, while 82% agricultural grade ammonia stores well in steel tanks and is very compatible with the inside of steel tanks for 50 years. Phosphate reacts with all metals rapidly, including calcium in the soil. The world’s most successful herbicide, Roundup, is built from phosphate. The EPA considers glyphosate to have low toxicity when used at the recommended doses. Roundup or glyphosate application to weeds does not work well if the leaves are dusty, especially in the tire tracks of sprayers. Lake Erie pollution and the floral bloom are most related to the surface application of dry phosphate 11-52-0 in winter months at very high rates. A runoff occurs in the winter, spring and summer, creating a bloom. Crop availability is a critical decision to justify applying phosphate, which is very expensive and a depleting resource. 

TAPPS, TAPPS+Zn,Mn, Triple Super Ammonization: Tri-Ammonium Polyphosphate with a blend of Ammonium Thio-Sulfate is TAPPS when applied at 1% CV in liquid streaming flows utilizing NH3 82-0-0, Ammonium Polyphosphate 10-34-0, and Ammonium Thio-Sulfate 12-0-0-26S. Included are ammoniated or chelated micronutrients Zn and Mn. 

TAPPKTS, TAPPKTS+Zn,Mn, Triple Super Ammonization: Tri-Ammonium Polyphosphate with a blend of Potassium Thio-Sulfate is TAPPKTS when applied at 1% CV in liquid streaming flows of NH3 82-0-0, Ammonium Polyphosphate 10-34-0, and Potassium Thio-Sulfate 0-0-17-26S. Included are ammoniated or chelated micronutrients Zn and Mn. 

Coefficient of Variation at 1%: The 1% CV calculation is used to determine the variation of each NH3 port and each liquid fertilizer APP/ATS port of delivery forming TAPPS and TAPPKTS. Two different products are delivered on a collision in the soil, forming a crystal. An example of 1% CV would be chemicals applied at 100 pounds per acre, where one pound of 100 pounds applied is not crop available. A 95% chance exists that the CV value will repeat again.

Some CVs are as high as 33% to 50% in fertilizer application. This means 33% to 50% of the material is not crop useable. This means the risk has become very high and the chance of using the material successfully is poor and may incur a 50% loss. The 50% balance is lost into the environment.

Uniformity of application is often mentioned in scientific presentations, but seldom do producers understand how critical uniformity of application is to the success with chemicals. Producers may only think of the per-acre rate as being targeted and found to be excellent for costing. Some producers think they can apply twice and get a uniform application. The CV gets worse the more the producer uses the inaccurate applicator and then adds another variable to the commentary, such as a windy day or a rolling slope. 

·         The coefficient of variation (CV) is a statistical measure of the dispersion of data points in a data series around the mean.

·         In finance, the coefficient of variation allows investors to determine how much volatility, or risk, is assumed in comparison to the amount of return expected from investments.

·         The lower the ratio of the standard deviation to mean return, the better risk-return tradeoff.

·         Knowing there is a 95% chance the event will happen again as calculated allows good decisions to be made. 

Binary Banding, with P-51 Openers, Root Pattern Geometry: Using the indexing technique of twin bands of placed nutrients, a corn or cotton root system can absorb nutrients immediately after planting.  

  • The corn, canola, soybean or cotton plant can access nutrients as the seminal and primordial four taproots penetrate into the band column of NH3 as TAPPS and TAPPKTS with Zn, Mn. This geometry of Binary Banding means in-row starter fertilizer can be dropped, saving $20 per acre. The corn row is placed directly on top of the primary index band on 30-inch centers. One more secondary band is dedicated to the root pattern of the primary seed row and the primary dedicated band.
     
  • This V-5 lateral branch brace roots start six weeks after the planting of the corn reaching out to secondary binary band. The result of correct timing and secondary band geometry is a V-5 status of the corn growth cycle. This period is the extreme period of elongation as the plant grows extremely fast in late June and early July in Nebraska conditions. The root system reaches about 7 inches to the side of the row and finds the second stable binary band in perfect alignment with the primary stable band. This provides more nutrients, and especially zinc and manganese, just when the plants need more. This secondary band or the twin sister of the main band, can also be adjusted to be stronger or weaker or to have more zinc and less phosphate. Strip-till farmers often wish they could band on 15-inch centers instead of 30-inch strip-till bands since 30-inch placed bands require at least a 30-day wait before planting. The advantage of Binary Banding is the producer can immediately plant his crop since the dilute bands will not burn corn roots.
     
  • A strong primary band vs. a weaker adjoining twin sister band may greatly improve lodging of corn by adding more KTS to the secondary band. Potassium can be limiting top yields at the onset of reproduction of the corn plant. 

Liquid Streaming Flows at 1% CV: Streaming flows in lineal bands allow the plant roots to access balanced NPKS and micronutrients such as Zn, Mn.  

  • Jerky applications of dry fertilizer cannot reduce nutrient use due to voids in the band, and as a result micronutrient must be way overapplied. This was proven by TVA scientists during the ’60s. The TVA discovered liquid streaming flows made fertilizer more crop available.
     
  • A good example is to look at the injection flow as you would observe a hypodermic needle injecting a vaccine into your body. No bubbles or voids can be in the flow, and the delivery must be exact for the liquid vaccine. The nurse knows this. Applying too much could make a person very sick, while applying too little could produce a poor resistance to the disease. The nurse injects with a steady pressure so the blood system can absorb the flow in a steady and uninterrupted stream. Bubbles in the flow are avoided, and it is steady and uniform. This is called the Goldilocks treatment: “This porridge is just right.”

Thio-Sul® or ATS, Ammonium Thio-Sulfate: At 11.15 pounds per gallon at 12-0-0-26S, 1.1 lbs. N and 2.89 lbs. S per gallon, this is a combination performance material with two sources of sulfur.  

  • Elemental sulfur and sulfate sulfur are used to build proteins and test weight in the plant and improve chlorophyll.
     
  • Micronutrients in the soil are oxidized as the Thio-Sul® produces a pH swing from base to acid.
     
  • A key strength of Thio-Sul® is its so-called triple threat performance thanks to the nitrogen stability it offers by delaying conversion to mobile nitrate. The delay is caused by a reaction with the copper co-factor of Nitrosomonas. This allows the plant to absorb the straight ammonium the plant prefers over nitrate. An 18% energy conversion is saved by keeping the NH4 as NH4.

KTS® or Potassium Thio-Sulfate, 0-0-25-17S: At 12 pounds per gallon or 3 lbs. K and 2.1 lbs. S per gallon, this material is a reliable solution. Developed and marketed by Tessenderlo Kerley Inc. and now available from 5 other manufacturers, the material performs well in cold weather and provides high crop availability when blended with phosphate to help form TAPPKTS with Zn and Mn.  

  • Potassium is known to perform best when banded.
     
  • Often it takes 10 to 15 times more pounds of potassium chloride surface applied to get a response in the production of Coastal Bermuda Grass as compared to banded TAPPKTS plus Zn and Mn.
     
  • The economic threshold response of KTS or Potassium Thio-Sulfate has been surprisingly good after 10 years of use.

Urea Ammonium Nitrate, URAN and UAN: The third-tier nitrogen product is used for salvage and convenience in crop production. It involves 25% mobile nitrate, 50% urea and 25% ammonium or three types of nitrogen. These products are very corrosive to steel. They are also dangerous to the environment when over applied. The Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia and Rhine River contamination is directly related to these products being incorrectly applied at too high of a rate.   

Urea: Known as a second-tier nitrogen product, urea is not primary nitrogen like the Anhydrous Ammonia or Aqua Ammonia that are immediately crop available. The 46-0-0 product combines CO2 into granules to build a carbamide. It is a CO2-based material with two NH2 molecules attached. The CO2 must be released into the environment before NH4 can be formed. As a result, Urea should not receive a carbon credit since it is built from CO2 coming from the fossil fuel ammonia plant.  

  • Urea is normally surface applied and must go through a conversion process before it is crop available.
     
  • Urea works very poorly when banded in the cold, wet soils of the Rocky Mountain valleys since it does not convert in time to be useable in spring cropping. Being surface applied in Montana conditions on 7.5 pH soil causes 30% to 50% of the urea to volatilize and to be lost into the atmosphere.
     
  • Urea has high nitrous oxide emissions according to Yara. The nitrous oxide emission from surface application is much higher than banded Exactrix, 1% CV, 300 PSI Injection, TAPPS and TAPPKTS with Zn and Mn.  

Micronutrients: Typically used in small amounts from 2 pounds per acre to .05 pounds per acre, these micronutrient metals are vital in the formation of proteins and amino acids, plus they allow favorable bacteria like yeast to flourish in the soil. The micronutrients are naturally occurring metals that can be ammoniated or chelated. They are zinc, manganese, copper, iron, moly, boron and sometimes nickel and selenium. Silver may be a micronutrient and is being investigated.  

  • Rare earth is not understood but is promoted in China.
     
  • Micronutrients like ammoniated zinc are always used with TAPPS and TAPPKTS on the Great Plains.
     
  • A new micronutrient product called TraFix Zn; Mn is showing good promise using Asset technology.

No-tillage Deep Band: Banding at a depth of 6 to 9 inches in narrow opener slots of .375-inch width reduces the NH4 diffusion zone and concentrates the band of TAPPKTS, which reduces the feeding sites for Nitrosomonas. The band is most stable at this depth since the zone is anaerobic or has very little oxygen to support soil microbes like Nitrosomonas.  

Ammoniated: Ammonia is introduced into the PKS and micros fertilizer manufacturing process with this technique. It provides a better target for plant roots. A synergism is developed between such products as NH3 and phosphate, plus potassium is much more efficient when it is ammoniated. All starter fertilizers include ammonia for quick nitrogen uptake. Nitrate fertilizers are not used for starter fertilizers. A costly fertilizer built by Ortho did have some nitrate in the analysis 27-12-0-7S. That nitrate in the 27 analysis or 50% of the N value was wasted since plants like corn, wheat and cotton cannot use nitrate in the first 30 days.  

NPKS+Zn,Mn: The name includes the chemical nutrients found in TAPPKTS plus zinc and manganese. Zinc is a bacteria-stat for Nitrosomonas. Zinc improves yeast formation in the soil. Manganese also feeds certain types of bacteria. Both materials are viable plant nutrients in very small amounts applied.  

Nitrosomonas: A bacterium known as the “The bandito and the archenemy of nitrogen stability,” Nitrosomonas converts NH4 or ammonium to mobile nitrate and can form N2O nitrous oxide from NO2 nitrite.  

  • Much of the fertilizer loss into the environment comes from Nitrosomonas activity.
     
  • The material N-serve specifically targets Nitrosomonas.
     
  • Zinc and metals that include sulfur materials will also stall out the Nitrosomonas by binding up the co-factor, copper, which is a transporter of proteins for the bacteria Nitrosomonas.
     
  • Nitrosomonas is found primarily in the aerobic zone or in the top 4 to 5 inches of the soil profile.
     
  • Another bacterium critical to nitrification negative valence mobility of nitrogen is Nitrobacter. Nitrobacter takes the nitrite NO2 molecule and oxidizes it to form NO3- negative valence. This NO3 is negative valence and follows soil water to the bottom to the Vadoze, to the side, and to the top.
     
  • Nitrate is responsible for about 500 diseases of corn, cotton and wheat.
     
  • Nitrate is combined with runoff phosphate from tillage systems to produce the floral blooms of the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Erie, and Lake Winnipeg. Tremendous pollution is observed in the rivers of China. The Rhine in Europe is also a major drainage port of the agriculture lands.

NFuel: Versatile NFuel is NH3 used as fuel for engines, SCR, heating and rocket engines. NFuel can also be cracked for the H2 only. NFuel stores well in steel pressure vessels. NFuel is a battery when hydrogen storage is made economically. NFuel transports much more safely than H2, hydrogen. NFuel is the success story primed and ready to drive the hydrogen economy.   

Cover Cropping: When an economic growing crop is moving to maturity, cover cropping seeding is a means to protect the soil and maintain a green link in the soil life. The soil can stay alive and operate as a powerful organism colony. Cover cropping is used in short rotations, where more rain falls than the crop needs. It is a mix of up to 14 different species that function independently and together in cool weather and warm weather. The technique is a powerful additional tool to drive No-till farming and harvest carbon or CO2 from the atmosphere and store it deep in the soil. Cover cropping helps.  

Fumigant Cover Cropping: Continuous rotations of corn require an interloping fumigation to maintain good yields. Fumigation with cyanide gas from plant glucosinolates reduces nematodes when crops like fumigant mustard are planted in the early spring. Spring is when nematodes move up to the top three feet of the soil. Another great choice for fumigation is winter rape and winter canola, which have much deeper roots and more soil mass coverage. Thus, winter canola and winter rape provide longer term suppression of nematodes. 

Syngas: This resource can be produced from many sources, including natural gas, coal, biomass, or virtually any hydrocarbon feedstock, by reaction with steam, carbon dioxide, or oxygen. Syngas is a crucial intermediate resource for the production of hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, and synthetic hydrocarbon fuels. Production methods include steam reforming of natural gas or liquid hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen, the gasification of coal, biomass, and in some types of waste-to-energy gasification facilities.

NP or Natural Gas: Natural is a misnomer since natural gas comes from oil field gas and must be processed before becoming CH4 or methane. Oil field gas has 18 different gasses present that must be removed to make syngas methane for the steam reformation of ammonia production.  

Electrolysis: The original method to make NH3, this process is in broad use. An electrical current is applied to distilled water, and H2 and O2 are split off to create NH3. The H2 immediately goes to the Haber Bosch processor. Haldor Topsoe, https://www.topsoe.com, is the major manufacturer of efficient electrolyzers in big NH3 plants using wind power. Yara is the major builder of NH3 using electrolyzers and wind power.  

Non-Fossil Fuels, Photo Voltaic or PV, Wind Turbine Power, Water Turbine Power, Biomass, Ethanol, Bio Diesel, Nuclear Sources of Power: These developments are the future of low GHG emissions. Fossil fuels may not be able to compete in cost, performance, and making hydrogen and NH3 fuel availability more local. Locally built energy has a pleasant result when GHG is removed from the process. Fossil fuels will never be replaced, but a big tonnage or volume dent needs to occur immediately. Every sector of the economy is looking for overwhelming progress in solving the GHG problem.  

Aerobic Depth: Infrared light will not penetrate beyond this soil depth of 4 inches to 5 inches. As a result, the soil surface above 4 to 5 inches contains good oxygen, thus allowing high levels of bacterial and fungal activity. The aerobic zone is loaded with carbon and exchange products that build soils and feed microflora.  

Anaerobic Depth: Considered the topsoil or plow layer, this soil depth from 4 inches to 10 inches allows very little oxygen to exist that would allow bacteria to proliferate in this zone. Roots introduce exchange products in the root zone. Nitrous oxide has very little chance to form up if No-tillage nutrients are placed deep in the soil in tight narrow bands of TAPPKTS plus zinc and manganese. Cover cropping is also key to developing soils and keeping nitrous oxide to a minimum.   

Oligarch: Not quite a monopolist like Andrew Carnegie of Carnegie Steel becoming JP Morgan’s U.S. Steel or John Rockefeller’s Standard Oil, the Oligarch companies of North America still maintain a firm, unrelenting grip and international grip on the fertilizer market.  

  • Fertilizer Oligarchs regionally control prices and outcompete others that want to enter the marketplace.
     
  • The sheer size and political weight of Oligarchs may allow their existence under federal anti-trust in geographic regions. They can build national economic strength but hurt producer land values and the producer ability to borrow to buy land or equipment.
     
  • A fine line exists between truth and blind trust in the Oligarch fertilizer companies in Kansas conditions.  
     
  • On the Great Plains of America and in the Pacific Northwest, NH3 is presently controlled by three Oligarchs: Koch Nitrogen or the Koch brothers, Nutrien of Calgary, Alberta and CF Industries of Deerfield, IL. While their operations may be totally legal, they have taken unfair advantage of producers when it comes to nutrient price and delivery. Their pricing over the last 15 years on the Great Plains robbed producers of $150 billion in land value in Kansas alone with the closure of producer-owned Farmland Industries.
     
  • More affordable ammonia was stopped as a function of natural gas pricing after 2003 when the Koch brothers purchased Farmland Industries of Kansas City.
     
  • Market to bear pricing was introduced because the Oligarchs could force prices higher by controlling supply and forcing producers to use higher-cost products like Urea, URAN and UAN.
     
  • How the Oligarchs robbed the next generation of farmers is well known, but very few producers can take on an Oligarch. Every single Kansas producer is seeking change and a return to $100 to $300 per ton ammonia or pricing relative to the cost of the power to build it. Key points are the power to keep ammonia local and have it always available.  
     
  • The Canadian producers are involved with the provincial monopolies of Nutrien. Canadian monopoly pricing is 162% higher at wholesale shipped to on-farm storage in Alberta. Canadian farmers have been stripped of their land values and robbed by the hedge-fund managers of Wall Street.  

Nitrogen Types: Primary nitrogen is NH3 at 82% N and Aqua Ammonia at 20% to 28% N in the first tier.  

  • Convenience and convertible carbamide nitrogen is Urea at 46% N in the second tier and has CO2 added.
     
  • Salvage and convenience nitrogen is 32% and 28% third-tier production with three types of nitrogen included.
     
  • Orchard and convenience nitrogen is calcium ammonium nitrate or Can 17 and 100% mobile nitrate. It is used to stimulate tree roots and is not a commercial crop production material.

Tillage Types: Tillage management is essential, from the plow to the chemical control of weeds.  

  • Maximum tillage uses a total flop-over of surface residues sent to the plow layer.
     
  • Minimum tillage uses a vertical shank to shatter the soil and leave residue on top.
     
  • A new system at 50 years, No-tillage, provides for virtually no soil movement, maximum moisture infiltration where the snow or rain falls, and maximum surface residue to build soil-stored carbon.
     

Bezos $10 Billion Earth Fund  

Jeff Bezos in 2016

On February 17, 2020, Jeff Bezos announced over Instagram that he was donating $10 billion to a new organization called the Jeff Bezos Earth Fund to fight climate change. He wrote, “Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet,” adding that, “I want to work alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change on this planet we all share.”[2]  He will “begin issuing grants this summer.”[2]

Your Great Plains Reporter.  
   

      Guy J Swanson 


John Cory
Security West Financial

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An Exactrix Mustang Tool Bar capable of producing $550,000 of internally available funds in five years.   


  See Video 

Top yields, best margin and the new leader in VRT-Site Specific, Small Grains Expert. Eric Odberg at Genesee, Idaho breaking winter wheat yield records. Exactrix TAPPS at Catholic Canyon using 4 management zones. Exactrix Site-Specific, Variable Rate
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"Paul Gangwish, Drone Video"
Track Machines improve production 200%.
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The 2017 Agronomy Review.
http://www.exactrix.com/Broadcast_12_29_2016.html

Meeting your formulation needs. www.exactrix.com/TF.htm  

Picking your metering systems. www.exactrix.com/EPM.htm  

Need more information on advanced crop production.   www.exactrix.com/EWAC.htm

 

For More Information:
509.254 6854