Fall is starting to close its doors and as winter approaches, many farmers are prepping the fields for next year’s crop. Anhydrous ammonia (NH3) is a gas compressed into a liquid for agricultural fertilizer. Ammonia naturally occurs in soil, air, and water. It is also essential in the photosynthesis of plants.
Nitrogen supports plant growth in crops, such as wheat, corn, and soybeans, resulting in higher crop yields. Since NH3 contains 82 percent nitrogen, it is among the highest concentration of nitrogen fertilizers.
This allows an efficient application process and lower transportation costs, which makes this fertilizer one of the most economical nitrogen resources for farmers. It is also an extremely dangerous chemical that needs to be handled with care.
Anhydrous ammonia has other uses on the farm, such as controlling mold growth with high-moisture grains. The same safety precautions need to be followed when used as a fertilizer and for grains.
Tom White, area location manager for CPI Sutton, explained that they have been steadily delivering anhydrous ammonia tanks since the application date of Nov. 1.
The weather pattern regulates the amount of calendar work days to apply NH3. It can be applied in cold temperatures, but not freezing ground temperatures. Some farming practices call for using a lower rate of the liquid in the fall and then higher rate in the spring.
In an average half-section field, which is approximately 320 acres, four to eight sets of two side-by-side tanks can be used depending on the farming practice needed for next spring. CPI delivers the specially designed tanks to the field.
Each driver is required to have a CDL with a hazmat endorsement and placards on tanks.
