Home News & Events Limus® protected urea – Independently proven to deliver the same yield and protein as AN

Limus® protected urea – Independently proven to deliver the same yield and protein as AN

Granular fertiliser choice for 2022

With new season ammonium nitrate (AN) prices at a significant premium to 2020/21, is now a good time to look at alternative products that offer the performance of AN but at a lower price?

Limus® Pro is a urease inhibitor from BASF that is available for use on granular urea fertilisers.

Urease inhibitors help to reduce the losses of nitrogen (as ammonia) that can occur following applications of urea, thus offering enhanced nitrogen use effiicacy whilst reducing ammonia emmisions.

Limus® Agronomics trials

To demonstrate the performance of Limus®Figure 1 protected urea, ADAS, alongside nine UK growers set up a series of replicated tramline trials ().

Each farmer applied the products with their own equipment at their standard nitrogen split timings and rates to see if Limus® protected urea delivered equivalent yields and protein to AN.

Yields were analysed at the end of the season to compare the performance of Limus and AN

Figure 1. Typical tramline trial layout designed by ADAS
Figure 1. Typical tramline trial layout designed by ADAS

The results demonstrate that across the nine sites, Limus®Table 1 protected urea did indeed deliver an equivalent yield (+0.06 t/ha) and protein performance to ammonium nitrate ().

Five of the nine sites showed a positive effect for Limus®. The remaining four sites showed a positive effect for AN.

Two of the nine trials showed a statistically significant positive yield response to Limus® protected urea, whilst all other sites demonstated no significant statistical differences between the two products.

Spring 2021 was a particular challenging season for urea fertilisers due to the extended dry weather seen especially during the early fertiliser applications. If there was a season to test the performance of a urease inhibitor, 2021 set an good benchmark.

Table 1. Limus® protected urea vs. AN, 9 Agronomics trials, winter wheat & winter barley, commercial N rates
Table 1. Limus® protected urea vs. AN, 9 Agronomics trials, winter wheat & winter barley, commercial N rates

UK Government’s Clean Air Strategy update

The UK government received 405 responses to its consultation on the option to ban urea. The NFU, alongside the AIC, is working on an alternative option to the one favoured by DEFRA. This alternative would see an industry-regulated approach to the use of solid urea fertiliser which will involve demonstrating delivery through a combination of FACTS Qualified Advice and farm assurance auditing.

Limus® protected urea is available from Bartholomews Agri Food Ltd, COFCO International and Thomas Bell (Diamond Fertilisers).

For solid urea this may see the use of closed periods when alternatives, such as AN, must be used. The use of urease inhibitor protected urea should also be available and provide an choice to farmers that is both cost competitive and an effective source of nitrogen.

Always read the label and product information before use. For further product information including warning phrases and symbols refer to www.agricentre.basf.co.uk. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact your local BASF Agronomy Manager or the BASF Technical Services Hotline: 0845 602 2553. Limus® contains NBPT + NPPT. Limus® is a registered trademark of BASF. © BASF 2021. All rights reserved.