28th June 2024
Via its biostimulants business, IntraCrop, Frontier Agriculture is now supplying farmers with on-farm bulk tanks of the foliar nitrogen product, Nutrino Pro.
Previously available in 10 and 1,000 litre containers, the option for tank installations now means growers can order a larger quantity for safe, static on-farm storage, removing the typical risks of manual handling and reducing the emissions often associated with conventional delivery and supply.
Speaking of the new service, Frontier fertiliser business development manager, Finley Hawkins says, “Products such as Nutrino Pro can support growers to adopt a more sustainable nutrition regime overall, so being able to provide a safer, longer-term supply solution via our investment in IntraCrop is a real positive.”
Nutrino Pro is IntraCrop’s most advanced foliar nitrogen product, containing a combination of controlled release nitrogen, pidolic acid and R100 biostimulants. Variable length chain polymers release the nitrogen over a period of six to eight weeks, while the biostimulants improve nutrient uptake and assimilation to boost growth in a wide range of crops.
Product carbon footprint assessment
In an assessment of the merits associated with alternative nutrition products in bulk containers vs. IBCs, IntraCrop consulted with Climate Partner which supports businesses to calculate and reduce their carbon emissions.
The product carbon footprint assessment (PCF) demonstrated several benefits from the Nutrino Pro tank installations, including:
- A 16% reduction in carbon emissions compared to IBCs (tCO2e/1,000l product), largely due to the significant reduction in use of steel
- Deliveries of 20,000 litres via bulk containers vs. the equivalent in 1,000 litre IBCs amounts to a saving 6.6 tCO2e
- Bulk delivery provides a more practical solution on farm, with reduced used of containers and requirements for product deliveries helping to lower any risks of environmental exposure.
The tanks housing the product are supplied and manufactured by Camplas Technology Ltd, ensuring they meet stewardship, health and safety and environmental regulations on farm.
“We’re pleased to be able to offer this solution to Frontier customers,” explains IntraCrop key account manager, Jack Hill. “Nutrino Pro is incredibly crop-safe and over several seasons it has repeatedly shown it can deliver wide ranging benefits to a number of crops at their critical growth stages.
“We hope the bulk availability will further support growers as they look to implement more resilient nutrition programmes, while also helping them to improve farm efficiency and meet their own sustainability objectives.”
With food manufacturers and retailers increasingly required to meet Scope 3 emissions targets, the availability of more sustainable products with a reduced carbon footprint on farm will also support the decarbonisation of food supply chains.
Delivering benefits to a range of crops
The stand-out benefits of Nutrino Pro are how crop-safe it is, the controlled release mechanism and what it delivers in terms of nitrogen use efficiency. It can be used without any risk of scorch or damage and it gives the confidence of compatibility in the tank mix.
The R100 biostimulant in particular supports the assimilation of nutrient into the crop, while pidolic acid helps to combat stress factors. Finley explains, “In good conditions, the pidolic acid accelerates nitrogen assimilation, amino acid and protein production. This means the plant makes the most of the available nitrogen, which can ultimately lead to an increase in yield.
“In poor conditions the product maintains nitrogen assimilation, reducing ammonia build up in the leaf, keeping them greener for longer and priming the plant for recovery when stress conditions improve.”
The R100 biostimulant works as an uptake agent for magnesium, while also triggering cytokinin production to stimulate cell division and growth.
In trials with Frontier and IntraCrop, Nutrino Pro has performed very well in oilseed rape. Finley explains, “A lot of the yield in OSR comes from maintaining canopy post-flowering and Nutrino Pro has had a positive impact when applied immediately after flowering, either with a full rate of nitrogen or an 85% rate.”
The product also delivers significant benefits to maize and potatoes. Finley continues: “On maize, an application of 20l/ha at the eight-to-twelve leaf stage will ensure the crop’s maximum demand for nitrogen is being met and this will contribute to the biggest increases in growth and biomass, supporting the critical stages of cob development.”
Trials conducted by the Maize Growers’ Association (MGA) last year compared urea polymers to one another and against a reduced nitrogen programme. In these, Nutrino Pro outperformed all other product options – even at a half rate - on dry matter yield, starch, ME (metabolizable energy) and cell wall digestibility. Though the products tested contained the same nitrogen forms at different percentages, it was the additional components of Nutrino Pro that delivered additional yield and quality.
“There is a huge demand for nitrogen once tassels appear, but traditionally it’s all applied at planting meaning there is a risk of leaching and volatilisation. We therefore don’t know how much of that N is still there and available when the crop needs it,” explains MGA technical lead, Jon Myhill. “This is where foliar feeds like Nutrino Pro can kick-in, delivering N at key points so nitrogen use efficiency notably increases. There was a significant yield improvement for Nutrino Pro compared to the 95kg/N control and its performance was equal to a full N rate.”
On potatoes, an application at tuber initiation can remove reliance on soil moisture to deliver nutrient into the crop. It’s also a beneficial addition for mid-season blight sprays, with applications of 5-10 litres per hectare helping to manage the canopy and drive absolute yield.
Farmers interested in the use of Nutrino Pro or installations of its bulk tanks can speak to their Frontier agronomist for more information.
Frontier’s investment into the supply of more sustainable nitrogen products via biostimulant specialists such as a IntraCrop delivers against its commitments under the Planet, People and Production pillars of its sustainability strategy, The Responsible Choice.
