CALGARY — A major fertilizer manufacturer and retailer doesn’t fear new technology that is transforming crops into more efficient users of nutrients.
Nitrogen use efficiency is expected to be the next major breakthrough in crop traits following drought tolerance.
Seed companies are developing crops that require significantly less nitrogen fertilizer to produce today’s yields.
“I don’t really necessarily view it as a threat,” said Chuck Magro, executive vice-president of Agrium Inc., even though technology developers are making it sound that way in their promotional work.
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For instance, Arcadia Biosciences is promoting a nitrogen use efficiency canola on its website that in field trials in five growing seasons yields the same as the check variety using two-thirds less nitrogen fertilizer.
Magro isn’t fazed by the prospect of farmers eventually planting crops that require far less fertilizer.
“I don’t think what you’re going to see is a nitrogen reduction. I could be wrong, but I don’t see that,” he said in an interview at the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference 2013.
He believes the technology will be used in a different way.
“I think what will happen is the same amount or even more nitrogen will be put on, but the yield response will be greater and that feeds the world,” said Magro.
Agrium hopes it is the approach farmers will take. The company manufactures and sells five million tonnes of nitrogen fertilizer a year, making it a big part of its revenues.
Magro believes the new trait is a positive development for the agriculture industry because it decreases the amount of wasted fertilizer, which is a growing environmental problem.
“Agriculture does need to become more sustainable. Anything that does that, Agrium is in full support of,” he said.
