By Alice McFarlane

Looking for better ways to manage nitrogen

Apr 23, 2025 | 10:28 AM

Farmers need to feed the plants that are the foundation of the food supply.

Nitrogen fertilizer gives crops key nutrients, but the century-old process used for fertilizer production has significant energy demands.

The University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Dr. Kate Congreves (PhD) is part of a group of researchers that are looking at emerging technologies for greener fertilizer.

“Nitrogen fertilizer was originally created by the Haber-Bosch process, which is very energy intensive, but there are new technologies that can produce ammonia which could end or modify that process by using renewable energy,” Congreves said.

Congreves investigates nitrogen cycling in cropping systems. She is also part of The Global Nitrogen Innovation Center for Clean Energy and the Environment (NICCEE), a network of international researchers who are looking to the future of fertilizers.

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“The group is focused on efforts to better manage nitrogen. We have a measurement site here where we are able to collect greenhouse gas data near continuously in the field,” Congreves said. “We also have built N2O databases for cropping systems and measure multi-year fertilizer management strategies.”

The idea is that green ammonia can produce nitrogen fertilizer that would minimize the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the Haber-Bosch process. Congreves said along with reducing the carbon footprint of fertilizer production, emerging technologies can also decentralize the process of making fertilizer—meaning that farmers could produce their own green ammonia with small modular units.

But this emerging technology doesn’t come without its own challenges, according to Congreves.

“There are potentially really good things about decentralizing and decarbonizing fertilizer production but there are also safety concerns and a potential for increased fertilizer use,” she added.

Increased fertilizer use can lead to increased N2O emissions and other forms of nitrogen pollution which impact water quality and climate. Congreves emphasized the importance of balance and responsible nitrogen management to ensure a greener future for both the environment and for producers.

“Nitrogen is so important for plants and for people, but we need to ensure that we are using fertilizer in the most effective way possible to avoid nitrogen losses which could have negative environmental impacts,” Congreves concluded.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com