Ontario’s first and only controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) manufacturing plant was inaugurated today in St. Thomas.
CRF Agritech is a joint venture between Sollio Agriculture, the Agri-business Division of Sollio Cooperative Group, several of its cooperatives in Québec, its Agromart retail partners in Ontario and the Maritimes and Alabama-based Pursell, a leading fertilizer technology manufacturer.
The project was first announced in 2021 and total investment was $25 million.
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Why it matters: The new plant offers Eastern Canadian corn growers a more local option for sourcing controlled-release fertilizers.
At present, CRF Agritech is the sole plant in Canada able to manufacture controlled-release custom fertilizer formulations using Pursell’s unique coating technology, the company said at the inauguration event Sept. 18.
The patented technology used in St. Thomas applies a coating to fertilizer granules, providing gradual nutrient release in the soil that is timed according to individual crop needs and prevents leaching during excess rainfall. CRF Agritech said what makes the technology different from other CRFs is its ability to also add micronutrients and biostimulants to the coating, which offers further advantages to growers.
Sollio Agriculture has undertaken studies with McGill University to determine how the CRF, called PurYield, reduces nitrogen leaching and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Initial studies show that the use of PurYield fertilizer has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent, the company said, and it is conducting further scientific testing and validation.
The plant has an area of 25,800 square feet and is capable of producing 100,000 metric tonnes of CRF each year. It will also be able to produce other coated fertilizers for uses other than agricultural, such as for turf and ornamental.
As part of the Fertilizer Accelerating Solutions & Technology Challenge of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), CRF Agritech was awarded $154,000. The company said the grant made it possible to speed up production and farmers’ adoption of this new generation of fertilizer technology.
PurYield will be available to Eastern Canadian farmers and farmers in the Northeastern United States.
