How quickly things can change. Not so long ago, everyone was a budding expert on virology and had their own take on infection rates. Now it’s inflation, particularly food and energy prices. Fertilizers have become mainstream and a subject of interest, which isn’t my normal experience as a fertilizer analyst. The various reasons are covered thoroughly by other media, no need to re-heat here. But what is important is to keep one’s ear to the ground and listen for snippets of changes in our markets. That’s what we try to do here at New AG International. Are growers looking at biologicals more seriously given the high fertilizer prices? Is there crop switching to soybean from maize, say, to avoid a large upfront cost for nitrogen? That might give inoculants a nudge. Are domestic greenhouses ramping up production knowing supermarkets don’t want to pay those extra freight costs? Biocontrol suppliers might feel the uptick. Do let us know if you have seen any shifts in the market. We’re interested in the trends, so we don’t need to mention any company names.
Staying on the subject of change – it was great to be at the New AG International Annual event in Poland in May, as part of the steady move back to in-person events. There was an energy to the event, with many interesting conversations. And great to get back to New AG's foundations - specialty fertilizer and plant nutrition.
A specific programme for SCRSFs was also reintroduced. Presentations covered the various product types – stabilized nitrogen for above and below ground protection, and coated granules for controlled-release fertilizers. There were the latest field trial results, whether for measuring the reduction in N losses through various pathways, comparison with untreated fertilizers, measuring ROI or improved nutrient use efficiency (NUE).
The programme showed the development of sector, such as combined products providing multiple protection and enhanced nutrient uptake at the same time. Another highlighted the incompatibility between nitrification inhibitors and phosphates. There was also a glimpse into the future with a slow-release fertilizer from recycled raw materials.
Luke Hutson
June 2022 issue highlights
The war in Ukraine continues to be top of mind, and with it, the increasingly ominous market reports the world over. Some crops have been seeded in Ukraine, but it’s unsure whether they can be harvested, and a real food crisis could be in the offing for many countries as a result. New AG International’s Editor-In-Chief Luke Hutson spoke with several agriculture industry players in Ukraine, and his report is in this issue.
A lack of readily available fertilizers opens the door for other nutrient possibilities for growers, including an increase in the biofertilizer market. According to Manel Cervera, international business director with DunhamTrimmer, today’s biofertilizer market is a mixture of circumstances that are linked to historical usage, the strength of the present driving trends and the disrupting elements appearing in the last three years. Read more from Manel in this issue.
To add to the topic, freelance writer Leonardo Gottems investigates the specialty fertilizer market in Brazil in this issue. One quotation from Ithamar Prada, vice president of marketing and innovation at ICL, jumps out: “Higher technology producers are the first to adopt specialty fertilizers. With the results presented in the field, other farmers end up adopting them.” Given some of the issues mentioned above, we might start to see this transfer speeded up.
In the meantime, biostimulants continue to find their way in crop production systems around the world, and in this issue, Editor Janet Kanters writes about how biostimulants are also finding a fit in soilless media and hydroponic systems in the horticulture sector. As one researcher notes in the story, the biggest interest is really to see if biostimulants can be used as a biofertilizer.
New AG International continues to follow the ever-growing soil sensor market. In a story by freelance writer Treena Hein, we discover that soil probes are expanding in capability and some systems are now able to measure salinity, nutrient levels and temperature in addition to moisture. There are myriad sensors out there; ultimately, it’s up to growers to build their knowledge, both of their fields and their ability to use the data to make better economically-driven decisions.
This issue’s country report is Italy. Over the past two decades, Italy has been growing more vegetables in greenhouses providing a boom for input suppliers. Research by New AG International suggests Italy is still at the front of protected cropping in Europe, ahead of rival Spain.
Italy has a strong roll of podiums when it comes to production and exports: the largest producer of soybeans and rice in EU; the largest producer in the world of artichoke; third largest producer of chickpea in EU; third in world for watermelon exports; second largest producer of kiwis in the world. The list goes on.
Finally, in our second instalment in the series ‘Great Debates in Agronomy’, we explore nutrient uptake by plants. Editor Janet Kanters speaks with three prominent Canadian-based scientists who debate what we know – and don’t know – about plant nutrient uptake. ●
Enjoy the issue!
Luke Hutson, Editor-in-Chief
Look out for our PDF download section, coming soon!
