Vizura®
Vizura® : Enhancing the value of your slurry and digestate
Available exclusively from Hutchinsons, Vizura® reduces nitrogen losses by keeping the nitrogen from slurry and digestate in the ammonium form for a longer period of time. This reduces losses from nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions and helps keep the nitrogen available to crops when they need it.
Benefits
- Keeps nitrogen in the ammonium form for longer
- Improves nitrogen use efficiency
- Reduces nitrate leaching
- Reduces nitrous oxide emissions
- Increases yield
- Provides advantages of ammonium-based nutrition
Why Vizura®?
Vizura® keeps nitrogen in the ammonium form for longer
At low soil temperatures (5°C), ammonium is converted into nitrate in around 6 weeks. Vizura® extends this period considerably to around 10 – 14 weeks, keeping nitrogen from slurry and digestate in the ammonium form for longer than normal. At 20°C, ammonium is converted into nitrate in around only one week. Vizura® extends this conversion period to around 4 – 6 weeks.
Vizura® improves nitrogen use efficiency
Significant amounts of nitrogen are lost during and after the spreading of slurry and digestate. This nitrogen can be lost as ammonia and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere or through nitrate leaching. By keeping nitrogen in the ammonium form for longer, Vizura® reduces nitrogen losses from nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions.
Vizura® reduces nitrate leaching
Nitrate is mobile in the soil and can easily move to the lower soil layers and finally into the groundwater. By delaying the conversion from ammonium into nitrate, Vizura® reduces the risk of nitrate leaching.
Vizura® reduces nitrous oxide emissions
Nitrous oxide is a damaging greenhouse gas 298 time more potent than carbon dioxide. It builds up in the ground as a side effect of nitrification and denitrification.
Arguably, the most significant benefit of Vizura® is that it has been proven to reduces emissions of nitrous oxide from slurry and digestate by over 40%.
Vizura® increases yield
By keeping nitrogen in the ammonium form for longer and thus reducing nitrogen losses, more nitrogen is available to crops and greater yields can be achieved. Across 17 BASF trials in winter wheat, Vizura® increased yields by an average of 5%, whilst across 24 BASF trials in maize, Vizura® increased yields by an average of 7%.
Vizura® provides advantages of ammonium-based nutrition
Ammonium-based nutrition can result in the following advantages:
- Plants can use the ammonium directly for protein synthesis, thereby saving energy. Nitrates first need to be converted by the plant into ammonium which requires energy
- Ammonium uptake results in improved availability of phosphate and micronutrients due to a lowering of the pH value around the roots
- Ammonium-based nutrition encourages root growth and increases the plant’s resistance to stress