Shelf life is one thing that comes up quite regularly when talking about protected urea.
Farmers have a fear of buying the product too far in advance as they think that product may not be as effective when they want to use it, which would not justify the higher price.
This can happen, but some products have a longer shelf life than others. When it comes to protected urea not all products are treated equally and there can be huge variation between the longevity of products due to ingredients, formulation, application of the urease inhibitor and storage of products.
Stability of the active ingredient used is a key factor, along with storage conditions, which have a big impact on the longevity of protected urea. Temperature, sunlight and abrasion are some factors.
However, in Ireland, we’re lucky we have fairly low temperatures. Low temperatures result in a longer shelf life. In hotter countries, the active ingredient can become less stable and doesn’t last as long as a result.
However, research from BASF, which produces LIMUS – a mixture of NBPT and NPPT urease inhibitors – claims that urea treated with Limus can be stored for 18 months without any impact on effectiveness when stored at an average temperature of 12°C. This particular formulation allows for a longer shelf life and will not be affected by a spike in temperature.
The shelf life of some products can be just a few months, depending on different factors and formulations.
What is protected urea?
Protected urea is urea fertiliser that has been treated with a urease inhibitor. Urease inhibitors reduce ammonia losses under dry weather conditions which can give more flexibility deciding on urea application.
Ammonia losses can be cut by 70% and allow the product to be spread on crops without gaseous losses for about two weeks.
There are two main urease inhibitors – NBPT and NPPT for short. Different products use different formulations.
In some cases, the inhibitor is a powder and others use a liquid. Some manufacturers claim that urea treated with liquid is less subject to losses from abrasion in the spreader compared to inhibitors applied using powder, which can be lost in the spreader.
In general, the inhibitor is applied to the urea when it is being packed in the blenders here in Ireland.
What affects the shelf life at manufacturer level?
The inhibitor product.The mix of ingredients.The application of the inhibitor.The temperature the product has been stored at.What should farmers ask when purchasing protected urea?
What is the shelf life of the product?What inhibitor was used?What should you do with protected urea on the farm?
Ensure the plastic cover is sealed.Store it undercover.Use within the recommended shelf life. This could be as long as 18 months with a product like Limus, for example.Mixing with
other nutrients
The mixture of different nutrients with protected urea can also affect shelf life.
Some products claim that they can be mixed with phosphorus, potassium and sulphur.
The source of the sulphur can be an issue in some cases, while others have shown significant results by trying different mixtures.
For example, when phosphorus is added to protected urea, the addition of magnesium sulphate can make the product more stable.
There are clearly many differences in the shelf life of different protected urea products and a little bit more attention is needed by merchants and farmers to ensure it is used within shelf life. While it will still be effective after that time period, it will reduce in effectiveness as time goes on.
Equally, farmers need to be sure to use in appropriate weather conditions. Depending on the product, effectiveness decreases once the fertiliser has been on the ground two to three weeks so it is essential to apply it when light rain is forecast like you would with other fertiliser.
When used in the right conditions, protected urea will prove cost effective, but when used in the wrong conditions it can mean nitrogen is lost and the correct rate has not been applied.
Shelf life is one thing that comes up quite regularly when talking about protected urea.
Farmers have a fear of buying the product too far in advance as they think that product may not be as effective when they want to use it, which would not justify the higher price.
This can happen, but some products have a longer shelf life than others. When it comes to protected urea not all products are treated equally and there can be huge variation between the longevity of products due to ingredients, formulation, application of the urease inhibitor and storage of products.
Stability of the active ingredient used is a key factor, along with storage conditions, which have a big impact on the longevity of protected urea. Temperature, sunlight and abrasion are some factors.
However, in Ireland, we’re lucky we have fairly low temperatures. Low temperatures result in a longer shelf life. In hotter countries, the active ingredient can become less stable and doesn’t last as long as a result.
However, research from BASF, which produces LIMUS – a mixture of NBPT and NPPT urease inhibitors – claims that urea treated with Limus can be stored for 18 months without any impact on effectiveness when stored at an average temperature of 12°C. This particular formulation allows for a longer shelf life and will not be affected by a spike in temperature.
The shelf life of some products can be just a few months, depending on different factors and formulations.
What is protected urea?
Protected urea is urea fertiliser that has been treated with a urease inhibitor. Urease inhibitors reduce ammonia losses under dry weather conditions which can give more flexibility deciding on urea application.
Ammonia losses can be cut by 70% and allow the product to be spread on crops without gaseous losses for about two weeks.
There are two main urease inhibitors – NBPT and NPPT for short. Different products use different formulations.
In some cases, the inhibitor is a powder and others use a liquid. Some manufacturers claim that urea treated with liquid is less subject to losses from abrasion in the spreader compared to inhibitors applied using powder, which can be lost in the spreader.
In general, the inhibitor is applied to the urea when it is being packed in the blenders here in Ireland.
What affects the shelf life at manufacturer level?
The inhibitor product.The mix of ingredients.The application of the inhibitor.The temperature the product has been stored at.What should farmers ask when purchasing protected urea?
What is the shelf life of the product?What inhibitor was used?What should you do with protected urea on the farm?
Ensure the plastic cover is sealed.Store it undercover.Use within the recommended shelf life. This could be as long as 18 months with a product like Limus, for example.Mixing with
other nutrients
The mixture of different nutrients with protected urea can also affect shelf life.
Some products claim that they can be mixed with phosphorus, potassium and sulphur.
The source of the sulphur can be an issue in some cases, while others have shown significant results by trying different mixtures.
For example, when phosphorus is added to protected urea, the addition of magnesium sulphate can make the product more stable.
There are clearly many differences in the shelf life of different protected urea products and a little bit more attention is needed by merchants and farmers to ensure it is used within shelf life. While it will still be effective after that time period, it will reduce in effectiveness as time goes on.
Equally, farmers need to be sure to use in appropriate weather conditions. Depending on the product, effectiveness decreases once the fertiliser has been on the ground two to three weeks so it is essential to apply it when light rain is forecast like you would with other fertiliser.
When used in the right conditions, protected urea will prove cost effective, but when used in the wrong conditions it can mean nitrogen is lost and the correct rate has not been applied.
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