SmartPhos DG competes in Next Gen Fertilizer Innovation Challenge
Posted on February 15, 2022
The Andersons is proud to participate with its SmartPhos DG ® technology in the Next Gen Fertilizer Innovation Challenge hosted by the EPA and USDA. The competition is also in collaboration with The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).
This challenge aims to identify concepts for novel technologies for fertilizers and other product technology innovations that can reduce the environmental effects from modern agriculture while maintaining or increasing crop yields. Watch this video about The Andersons involvement in the Next Gen Fertilizer Innovation Challenge.
About The Andersons SmartPhos DG
Today’s conventional agricultural system is largely fertilized using soluble phosphate fertilizers. This form of fertilizer is effective in producing high yields; however, growers have difficulty managing phosphorus in the soil – mainly, preventing it from leaching and ensuring its availability to crops. Additionally, from a supply perspective, there are concerns about the longevity of mined phosphate sources in North America.
At The Andersons, we are excited about pairing a renewable and plant-available phosphorus source, struvite, with The Andersons dispersing granule (DG) technology to mitigate these challenges and provide a phosphorus source that can sustain agriculture production.
What is struvite?
Struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) is a phosphorus-rich, naturally occurring material. It is readily formed in the presence of magnesium, soluble phosphorus and ammonia in places like wastewater treatment facilities, livestock operations and renewable energy production sites.
Struvite can be an unwanted guest in these areas, but with struvite recovery systems, this compound can be collected and processed using The Andersons patented Dispersing Granule technology, resulting in a high efficiency fertilizer granule.
Struvite + DG technology = SmartPhos DG
These granules are commercialized by The Andersons as “SmartPhos DG”. SmartPhos DG provides many benefits, including:
- Low water solubility, allowing for a slow, steady supply of nutrients to crops, while limiting movement into waterways
- High plant availability, offering nutrients slowly and steadily that can be absorbed over the course of a growing season
- Low salt index, avoiding the burning of new seedlings, and
- Plant-available phosphorus regardless of soil pH, unlike traditional forms of phosphate fertilizers
SmartPhos DG is designed to provide season-long feeding of plant-available phosphorus, resulting in superior availability and lower use rates. SmartPhos DG granules disperse with rainfall or irrigation, moving the tiny particles of struvite quickly into the soil, where they go to work feeding the roots of the plant.
As a result of SmartPhos DG’s low water solubility, research shows this technology stays in the soil longer than traditional forms of phosphorous. Leaching studies conducted at The Ohio State University show SmartPhos DG released up to 40 times slower than traditional forms of phosphate fertilizer. Additionally, studies show no significant drop in crop yield even with the reduced environmental impact.
Not only does SmartPhos DG combine nitrogen and phosphorous in the same granule much like traditional forms of phosphate, but it also contains an important plant nutrient, magnesium. The presence of magnesium turns SmartPhos DG into a slow release fertilizer complex, providing season-long feeding for crops.
Plants naturally process SmartPhos DG because roots exude biological chemicals to pull SmartPhos DG nutrients into the plant naturally. This is the beauty in the system and where this product gets its name.
At The Andersons, we believe SmartPhos DG has the potential to be a significant economic, social and environmental value for this country and beyond. With SmartPhos DG, the convergence of food, energy, and fertilizer is an appealing one that could be sustainable for decades to come.
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