Trial proves Nitram blue bag fertiliser produces more profitable
yields

An independent trial carried out by Armstrong has proven the significant financial advantage of Ammonium Nitrate
fertilisers over urea options. It’s even more support for the statement by ADAS that “Ammonium Nitrate yields more than
urea in 77% of cases”.

Winter wheat trials at Helpston in Lincolnshire compared plots treated with CF Fertilisers’ Nitram Ammonium Nitrate against
those treated with urea, and also with an early application of urea followed by Nitram. The results were clear. Nitram
outperformed urea by 0.4 tonnes per hectare, or 4% – a financial advantage of £46 per hectare.

Even on those plots where urea was followed by Nitram, there was a 0.25 tonne per hectare drop in yield compared to plots
treated exclusively with Nitram. That’s a loss of £34 per hectare, or £3,400 over a 100-hectare farm. If you compare the full
urea programme to the full Nitram one, the loss is even greater at £4,600.

The trial took place in the challenging conditions of spring 2017 and highlighted that the short-term saving to be made by
choosing urea poses a real risk to farm profitability.

As researcher Mike Armstrong concluded: “The trial certainly showed that different products and the weather conditions did
affect crop performance. CF products seem to be more resilient and reliable when the weather is against you.”