Climate-smart farming: BASF and Yuntianhua pilot to solve “pain points” of fertilizer innovation in China

17 Oct 2023 --- BASF and Yunnan Yuntianhua Co have joined forces to launch a pioneering pilot project in China that aims to verify the reduction of CO2 emissions. The results are expected to support climate-smart farming initiatives in China and program expansion opportunities globally.

At the core of this collaboration is BASF’s Limus, pegged as an innovative “dual-active” product containing two urease inhibitors that enable it to reduce ammonia. Limus cuts down ammonia emissions, potentially reducing up to 98% over straight urea.

As the world’s leading consumer of nitrogen fertilizer, China has reaped its benefits with a subsequent boost in food production. But this advancement has not come without its consequences. A deviation in biogeochemical cycles, risks to ecosystems, and the repercussions of nitrogen pollution are some challenges the agricultural industry faces. 

The emission reductions can translate to environmental impacts, notes the company. By harnessing Limus on urea fertilizer, Yuntianhua can curtail CO2 emissions in China to an extent equivalent to sidelining over 20,000 gas-powered cars annually. 

Addressing nitrogen pollution
The correlation between nitrogen pollution and environmental degradation is well-documented. Around  15% of nitrogen in urea fertilizer escapes into the atmosphere as ammonia, impacting air and water quality. Nitrogen, when manifested as nitrous oxide, takes on the role of a greenhouse gas.

The existing pollution also denotes economic loss for farmers as vital nitrogen eludes crops when they need it the most. The UN has warned that global food production this year may be unable to meet rising demand without proper fertilizer use.

Preliminary trials of Limus have illustrated marked enhancements in overall nitrogen use efficiency. With the integration of the Limus urease inhibitor into urea fertilizer, a substantial decline in ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions can be observed.

Yuntianhua principally engages in manufacture and distribution of chemical fertilizers and chemical materials and products.Innovative partnership to paint a greener landscape
In a Chinese policy paper from earlier this year, the National Academy of Agriculture Green Development detailed China’s future green trajectory. The country would benefit from upgrading traditional fertilizers and replacing them with low-carbon nitrogen fertilizers, it says, and advancements in production technology should complement this to reduce China’s total nitrogen fertilizer emissions.

Yuntianhua is the first China-based manufacturer of chemical fertilizer to launch a climate-smart farming project on nitrogen fertilizer in the country.

“Partnership is the cornerstone to accelerate the path toward transformation,” says Shuxin Zhai, deputy general manager of Yunnan Yuntianhua Co., Ltd. and general manager of Yuntianhua Agricultural Material Chain Co., Ltd. “BASF is the ideal innovative partner of Yuntianhua, which is in line with Yuntianhua’s development vision and strategic goals. We look forward to reaching a deeper and broader collaboration in the future to jointly solve the pain points and difficulties in fertilizer innovation and product upgrading.”

BASF also teamed up with First Climate, a carbon management and green energy service. The collaboration aims to develop a robust methodology to quantify the project’s emission reductions and closely monitor outcomes.

“We are excited to be a pioneer with Yuntianhua in bringing more value to farmers in China through this climate-smart farming initiative; our work with Yuntianhua will set the stage for future, similar projects with partners along the food value chain, which we, as BASF are actively seeking,” concludes Dr. Markus Schmid, N-management business lead at BASF.

By Sichong Wang