A compound fertiliser is not the same as a blend
Ensure an even application of all nutrients by using a YaraMila true compound NPKS fertiliser rather than risk the segregation and uneven distribution you get when using a blend
What's the difference between a compound fertiliser and a blend?
A true compound fertiliser is one that has been manufactured in a plant that has the capability of mixing all the ingredients (nutrients) together before the final granulation or prilling process. This means all the granules or prills in that product have the same nutrient analysis, density, shape and size range.
In contrast to the homogeneity of compound fertiliser, blended fertiliser will have different coloured, shaped and sized particles. Straight fertilisers, as they’re called are mixed together to make up a particular product analysis, and then bagged.
Compound fertiliser
Each identical particle contains the correct balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur
Blended fertiliser
Made up of completely separate particles of N, P and K. Often with a large variation in bulk density and particle size.
Compound fertilisers
- True compound fertilisers are manufactured in a factory that has the capability of mixing all the ingredients (nutrients) together before the final granulation or prilling process.
- This means all the granules or prills in that product have the same nutrient analysis, density, shape and size range.
Blended fertiliser
- Blends are made using straight fertilisers, as they’re called, which are mixed together to make up a particular product analysis, and then bagged.
- This means that blended fertiliser contains a mixture of particles of different shape, size and density.
What happens in the fertiliser spreader?
The physical qualities of a fertiliser determine how evenly it spreads. The fertiliser flows onto the discs of the machine and then it’s propelled by the vanes in a regular pattern. Or does it!! The problem with blends is, that no two ingredients in that blend are the same. So, the spreader setting is a compromise rather than a ‘best fit’. There’s also the problem that individual ingredients can segregate out in the spreader. Whereas, for a YaraMila product, the granules or prills have the same density, shape and size range. So the spreader setting for a YaraMila product is a ‘best fit’.
What happens, is the more dense ingredients in a blend are thrown furthest and the less dense don’t reach the wider reaches of the spreading width. It’s also worth noting that a fertiliser spreader tray test for a blended product may indicate an even spread for the ‘whole’ product but for the individual nutrients, there might be a great deal of variation. There’s no ambiguity when examining the results of a tray test with a true compound fertiliser, as each granule or prill contains the full analysis for that product.
Why use a compound fertiliser?
- Every particle contains all the nutrients. YaraMila compound fertilisers include each nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur) in the correct proportions in every particle which simply guarantees the correct nutrient analysis.
- Even application of nutrients. Because all the particles in a YaraMila compound fertiliser are the same size and weight they spread uniformly giving an even application of nutrients.
- No segregation of nutrients. There is simply no segregation of nutrients during transport, handling or application. Because all the granules have consistent particle size and bulk density no segregation is possible.
What does this mean in the field?
Agronomically, the more evenly nutrients are applied the better it is for the crop. If we look at spring-applied phosphate, for example, we know that phosphate is not very mobile in the soil and this immobility is more pronounced in spring when soils are cooler and wetter. So if we take a popular fertiliser grade such as 27-5-5+SO3, applied at 225 kg/ha. For the blended product, there are 50 phosphate landing sites per m2. Compare this to the 500 phosphate landing sites per m2 with YaraMila EXTRAGRASS (27-5-5+SO3). That’s 10 times more phosphate landing sites. The same comparison with potash, the difference is greater again.
Applying nutrient in fertiliser accurately at the field level is not enough. We must be placing these nutrients accurately at the plant level. If you’re serious about plant nutrition, then YaraMila is the simple choice.
What are the practical benefits?
More landing sites
YaraMila true compound fertiliser gives around 10 x the number of landing sites
No spreading compromise
Once set accurately the spreader settings will be correct for every particle
Wider spreading
YaraMila fertiliser quality means it spreads further allowing a wider bout width
- Every particle contains all the nutrients. YaraMila compound fertilisers include each nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur) in the correct proportions in every particle which simply guarantees the correct nutrient analysis.
- Even application of nutrients. Because all the particles in a YaraMila compound fertiliser are the same size and weight they spread uniformly giving an even application of nutrients.
- No segregation of nutrients. There is simply no segregation of nutrients during transport, handling or application. Because all the granules have consistent particle size and bulk density no segregation is possible.
Your grain is traceable, your fertiliser should be too
Whenever you see YaraMila you can be certain that the fertiliser has been made in one of our own factories. This means we know exactly what is going into each bag of fertiliser so we can trace each bag of YaraMila back to the ingredients used to make it.
Why is traceability important?
Product tracing used to be something we needed when things went wrong – when there was a recall or a food safety investigation. But now, product tracing has gone mainstream fuelled mainly by increased demand from consumers for transparency.
What does traceability mean for me?
Comes from a Yara factory
YaraMila fertilisers are always made in Yara's own factories
Control over quality
We know exactly what is going into each bag of fertiliser
Unique identification
YaraMila fertiliser can be traced back from field to factory
- Controlled manufacturing process. YaraMila fertiliser is only made in our own factories. This means we have complete control over the raw materials and know exactly what goes into each bag of fertiliser.
- Guaranteed quality. Because we only use carefully sourced high-quality raw materials we can be certain the fertiliser is the highest quality and we continually conduct tests on our own fertilisers to ensure quality control.
- Unique product identification. YaraMila fertiliser can be traced back from the field to factory. Being able to trace each product back to where it was produced is vital for a number of reasons. For one if there happens to be an issue with a particular product then it is easy to trace it back through its journey to find out where the problem occurred. Having the ability to track a product in this manner gives you the reassurance that you can trust the product.
- Individual carbon footprint. A further reason for the increasing importance of traceability is the ability to calculate the carbon footprint of your crop, a topic companies and consumers alike, are becoming more interested in.
Yara’s traceability guarantee
Each fertiliser from Yara has a label which contains information on it unique to that product. Using this information it is possible to see which factory made the fertiliser and the product grade code, as well as the facility where it was put into a bag and a unique bag identification number.
So how does traceability work?
- These images are what you’ll see on the front and back of a typical YaraMila bag.
- The front of the bag will have a 3-letter code (at the bottom right) to denote which factory it is from, in this case, GLO means our Glomfjord factory in Norway.
- The back of the bag has more information including the product grade code (PH133G) and again, the factory (GLO) where it was produced.
- This information is useful when it comes to spreader settings as there will be particular settings for YaraMila Actyva S from Glomfjord (or GLO).
- Another label that you will find at the top of the bag liner also holds useful information for traceability purposes, this example is also from a bag of YaraMila Extragrass.
- The first three letters state where it was bagged, in this case IFT refers to Immingham Fertiliser Terminal – if this was bagged at Avonmouth then it would have AVO, if Swansea SWA etc.
- This is then followed by a bag number (15000005) which is unique to every bag.
- Then there is the product grade code (PH133G) and which factory it came from (GLO).
- Some products may also include additional information.
Trust in Yara quality
With all this in place as standard, you can rest assured that any YaraMila fertiliser you buy can be traced back to the facility where it was bagged, to the factory where it was produced, and also the batch that it came from.
Can fertiliser be sustainable?
Low carbon fertiliser
Decarbonising the whole food value chain
Reduced emissions
Lowering emissions for less impact on climate change
Green ammonia
Manufacturing fertiliser from renewable energy
- All YaraMila fertilisers come with a guaranteed low carbon footprint however, our aim is to become carbon net-zero and to produce carbon-neutral fertiliser on a commercial scale in the near future.
- Yara has already reduced the carbon footprint of its nitrate fertiliser production by 40% and has developed advanced catalyst technology that can reduce N20 emissions during fertiliser production by up to 90%.
- Green ammonia is an emerging technology for the production of carbon-neutral fertilisers, based on renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydro-electric. It involves obtaining hydrogen from water by electrolysis and nitrogen out of the air by an air separation unit which are then synthesised to produce green ammonia using the Haber-Bosch process.
Today's requirements for tomorrow's needs
Sustainability can be defined in many ways but in general terms, it is all about managing today’s requirements without impacting on the ability to meet tomorrow’s needs. It can also be split into three dimensions: economic, environmental, and social. The first two of these, economic and environmental, are very clearly linked to YaraMila fertilisers. Considering the economic dimension, or sometimes referred to as ‘profit’, then this is very relevant to farm profitability. In 2020 wheat trials, YaraMila Extragrass increased yield by 173% taking a crop from 7.26 t/ha to 12.6 t/ha. This profitability improvement equates to £704/ha. The YaraMila brand helps identify that each granule supplies some P and K as well as N and S. The P and K element improved profitability by £67/ha in this trial. The extra revenue achieved through investing in YaraMila comes from the targeted application to meet the crops demand, alongside the accurate, even spread of nutrient that is achieved at the point of application.
Naturally, it is important that this ‘profitability’ doesn’t come at the expense of the environment. An environmental measure that can be used towards improved sustainability is resource efficiency. An example here is Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) which in arable crops can be targeted at 80%. When this is calculated for the YaraMila applications described above, then the NUE% was improved by 4% at the optimum nitrogen rate. Achieving the optimum nitrogen rate is also key for sustainability, thus reducing losses in the nitrogen cycle. Nitrogen management tools such as the N-Tester and N-Sensor can be used to determine application rates.
Another consideration regarding environmental sustainability are the N2O emissions during fertiliser production. Yara was instrumental in the development of the ‘abatement’ technology that removes over 90% of the N2O emissions that occur during the nitric acid production stage of manufacture, significantly reducing the carbon footprint.
The third pillar of sustainability is the societal component that a product can deliver. Food security and reduced poverty are clearly humankind gains associated with fertiliser. It has been calculated that mineral fertiliser nourishes 48% of the global population, and has saved 2.7 billion lives over the last hundred years.
As society now looks to mitigate ‘climate change’, further reductions in carbon footprints need to be made if ‘net zero’ targets are to be achieved. Yara is investing in a number of innovations, including ‘green ammonia’ that will ‘decarbonise’ fertiliser further adding to its current sustainability profile.
Recommended fertilisers
The following YaraMila compound fertilisers are the most popular
Related agronomy advice articles
Where can I buy Yara fertiliser in Wales ?
Yara supply our solid and liquid fertilisers and micronutrients in Wales through a network of local suppliers Use our interactive map to locate your nearest suppliers.
Read more about improving nutrient efficiency
Future-proof your farmFuture-proof your farmFuture-proof your farm
Find out how your farm can become more productive, profitable and sustainable by future proofing your resources, your profit and our planet.
