It’s difficult to imagine where agriculture would be today had BASF chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch not discovered how to harness the atmospheric abundance of nitrogen to create ammonia. The Haber-Bosch process has allowed growers to apply nitrogen-based nutrients, which is crucial to the fertile soil needed for today’s crop production. BASF has taken yet another step today in the field of nutrient management by announcing that Limus® nitrogen management will be available for sale in the U.S. for the 2015 growing season.

Limus nitrogen management can be blended with urea and UAN fertilizers to protect against volatilization and nitrogen loss, providing more than three weeks of protection. The patented formulation behind Limus nitrogen management combines two active ingredients that are more effective than a single inhibitor on urease enzymes found in soil, resulting in a decrease of nitrogen loss.

“Growers can lose over 40 percent of surface-applied urea due to volatilization within weeks of application,” said Nick Fassler, Product Manager, BASF. “This makes the window for growers to optimize protection of their fertilizer very critical.”

Reducing ammonia losses by more than 90 percent, Limus nitrogen management has demonstrated increased crop yields on average of 6 percent, according to 2013 replicated research, outperforming competitive products. In additional BASF research testing in controlled environments, untreated urea lost up to 35 percent of nitrogen 11 days after application. Urea fertilizer treated with Limus nitrogen management netted no more than 5 percent nitrogen loss.

“Nitrogen is essential for optimal plant growth and maximizing yields,” Fassler said. “The nitrogen loss prevented by Limus nitrogen management protects plant nutrition, allowing crops to reach their maximum yield potential.”

The increase in efficiency that Limus nitrogen management can provide enhances optimal nitrogen availability in critical growth stages of plant development leading to more consistent yields. Growers who apply Limus nitrogen management can see an extended window of action and minimal nitrogen loss over a wide range of temperatures and humidity. This leads to increased flexibility in a grower’s nitrogen program.

“From a grower’s standpoint, when you make that application you want to ensure it’s there and it stays on its intended target,” Fassler said. “Limus nitrogen management provides growers with a solution for nitrogen optimization, helping to protect their investment.”

The science behind Limus nitrogen management stems from the very long history that BASF has in the nutrient management space. With more than 100 years of expertise in the fertilizer market, BASF can provide the best technology for each market need.