Kapuni’s urea may be useless

Press, 5 July 1983, Page 16

Kapuni’s urea may be useless

PA Wellington Waikato University studies have shown that the $ll3 million ammonia-urea plant at Kapuni is producing fertiliser that may be quite useless in a range of agricultural soils. However, Dr Roy Daniel, the university biochemist who instigated the study, said he was anxious that it should not be seen “as a scare thing.” He suggested that the plant continue its normal production while further research was carried out.

The university’s research, published last week, has world-wide implications, for it indicates that nitrogenous fertiliser such as urea is being vented-off as quickly as it soaks into the ground, through the previously unsuspected action of bacteria deliberately introduced as a nitrogen-fixer. The research, funded by the Ministry of Agriculture over the last two years to about $50,000, suggests that clover is not affected by bacteria-caused nitrogen loss, but it does show heavy nitrogen loss where crops such as lucerne, lupin, lotus, and soy bean are grown. Mr Paul Barton, marketing manager of Petrochem, which runs the Kapuni plant, said that the release of the university results was the first his company had heard about it, and Petro-

chem was trying to find out more. He said that Petrochem could not comment until it had studied the report and perhaps discussed it with the research team. Dr Daniel said the findings were very new indeed and the researchers had not yet had a chance to discuss them with anyone. The Ministry’s funding was due to end next month, but the university had already approached it for more money and-a decision on this could be made in August or September. Dr Daniel said it was hoped to continue the research for two or three more years, and if the Ministry was unable to fund this, other agencies such as Petrochem could be approached. He said that in the long term, the research could indicate that changes were necessary in the pattern of nitrogenous fertiliser use. On the brighter side, it was possible that the research could come up with a method of making more efficient use of the fertiliser.

Another option could be to limit or remove nitrogenfixing bacteria in soils where the bacteria were not doing their job. The university’s findings to date will be published internationally later this year.