Sollio Agriculture Inaugurates New Controlled-release Fertilizer Production Plant
In St. Thomas, Ontario, Sollio Agriculture, the Agri-business Division of Sollio Cooperative Group, opened CRF Agritech, a new facility for the production of controlled-release fertilizers.
Sollio Agriculture formed a joint venture with several of its cooperatives in Quebec, its Agromart retail partners in Ontario and the Maritimes, and Pursell, a prominent fertilizer technology company based in Alabama, to launch the project in 2021.
“The new coating plant in St. Thomas is in line with Sollio Agriculture's efforts to promote sustainable practices that reduce the environmental impact of farming activities and innovate with alternative products while maintaining the goal of ensuring the prosperity of Canadian farmers. The strategic location of CRF Agritech will provide for reliable supply in Eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States and reduce freight expenses for our customers. This strategic partnership between Pursell and the Sollio Agriculture network allows us to expand the potential market for this technology and support nutrient management initiatives associated with the use of fertilizer products. PurYield is an exciting addition to our portfolio, providing substantial benefit to farmers across the region,” Casper Kaastra, CEO, of Sollio Agriculture, mentioned.
CRF Agritech is now the only plant in Canada capable of producing controlled-release bespoke fertilizer formulas using Pursell's patented coating technique.
A CUSD25m Investment
With an area of 25,800 square feet, the new controlled-release fertilizer production plant required an investment of over CUSD25m.
It manufactures next-generation controlled-release fertilizer, including PurYield, for farmers across all of Eastern Canada and the Northeastern U.S. It will also be able to produce other coated fertilizer for uses other than agriculture. At full capacity, the plant will manufacture over 100,000 tonnes annually.
As part of the Fertilizer Accelerating Solutions & Technology Challenge of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Ontario, CRF Agritech was awarded CUSD154,000. This grant made it possible to speed up production and farmers' adoption of this new generation of fertilizer technology.
Enhanced Yield and Environmental Benefits
The patented technology used in St. Thomas is controlled-release fertilizer or CRF. It is used to apply a coating to fertilizer granules with the ability to add micro-nutrients and bio-stimulants, providing gradual nutrient release in the soil that is timed according to individual crop needs. While being more technically advanced than existing products originating from traditional suppliers, these innovative fertilizers offer many additional advantages.
“By promoting higher yields through enhanced nutrient uptake by individual plants, there is reduced loss of nutrients through leaching as a result of surplus moisture and excess rainfall. Given the extreme weather events that farmers are facing, this important attribute can improve farm profitability,” according to a recent press release.
In addition, according to the International Fertilizer Association (IFA), the use of coated fertilizer can reduce the quantity of fertilizer needed by 20% to 30% compared with traditional products.
From an environmental standpoint, initial studies conducted by the Sollio Agriculture research team and McGill University show that the use of PurYield fertilizer has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30%. Additional scientific testing and validation are currently underway.
Lastly, the predictable, precise release curve allows growers to target when plants receive nutrients, minimizing the number of applications across the field and helping to mitigate issues related to labor shortages currently being experienced across the entire agricultural industry.
The use of controlled-release fertilizers aligns with the internationally recognized 4R Nutrient Stewardship program's best management practices for responsible and effective management of nutrient resources.
In July, Sollio Agriculture announced a major research project with McGill University. The study aims to validate the agronomic and environmental benefits of PurYield, a coated fertilizer known to enhance nutrient uptake by plants. Initial studies showed that the use of PurYield could potentially reduce GHG emissions by 30% while increasing field yield. Researchers are currently validating this data.
