Author: Robert Dwyer – IPF Tropical Systems Agronomist

Unpredictable rainfall continues to challenge Australian cane growers in achieving consistent fertilizer uptake. At the same time, rising production demands and increasing environmental scrutiny are placing nitrogen use efficiency firmly in the spotlight. Supporting crops to absorb more nitrogen and waste less, is now both a productivity imperative and a sustainability goal. 

Nitrogen can be lost from the system through runoff, leaching, denitrification, and volatilisation. While there are several management practices that help reduce these losses, simply applying more nitrogen to compensate is neither practical, profitable, nor permissible – particularly in reef-regulated areas. 

So how do you protect your fertiliser investment?

Canegrowers looking to maximise the return on their fertiliser blend investment and ensure more nitrogen is available in the soil for crop growth should consider switching from conventional untreated urea to eNpower®.  

eNpower is a nitrification inhibitor, also known as an enhanced efficiency fertiliser. It has a coating which slows down the bacteria that converts ammonium to nitrite and so helps hold nitrogen in its stable ammonium form for longer, providing six to twelve weeks of ammonium protection.  

It helps stabilise nitrogen and improve phosphorus uptake, reducing the risk of limiting cane yield. This gives the crop the best chance of making the most of good growing conditions. It provides greater protection than conventional untreated urea under irrigation and in large rain events, and delivers more predictable results, even when the season doesn’t go to plan. It’s long lasting and well suited to tropical conditions. 

Simple addition to farm with confidence 

Switching to eNpower is as easy as asking for it by name when ordering your fertiliser. eNpower now comes in distinctive pink bags, helping growers and retailers easily identify this smart fertiliser, designed for more sustainable nitrogen use.  

eNpower can combat run-off, leaching and denitrification, but loss through volatilisation from urea (even conventional untreated urea) must be managed by application method and depth of soil cover. One of the best ways to prevent nitrogen loss through run-off and volatilisation is to ensure adequate incorporation of fertiliser by aiming for about 10 centimetres of compacted soil cover over fertiliser, with a rotating finger press wheel design, like the StoolZippa™.  

In addition to volatilisation risk, if the slot made by a double disc opener or stool-splitter is left open, then fertiliser can run-off by moving through (straight up and over the top of) the soil during rainfall or irrigation events.  In periods of heavy rain, run-off is more likely if the fertiliser is left exposed to the rain in an open slot. 

Another way to manage fertiliser efficiency is to add Trigger® into your granular fertiliser blend. Trigger is a low-dust, air seeder rated, humic acid granule, which is highly compatible for granular fertiliser blend inclusion. Its high cation exchange capacity has the potential to reduce leaching and run-off, increasing the efficiency of your fertiliser blend. 

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 

eNpower can also reduce emissions of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, compared to applying standard urea. Nitrous oxide has 265 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide, and is one of the three key GHGs, along with carbon dioxide and methane, contributing to human-driven climate change. It can remain in the atmosphere for more than 100 years and is an ozone-depleting substance.  

Reducing nitrous oxide will also reduce di-nitrogen – another product of denitrification which is lost in even greater amounts. The loss of each of these gases, equates to nitrogen the crop can no longer access for growth.  

Grace P et. al. (2024) determined in a recently released meta-analysis that in research from over 18 years in 102 trials, eNpower reduced nitrous oxide emissions. On average a 33% reduction in nitrous oxide emissions was achieved in sugarcane, when eNpower was applied compared conventional untreated urea. 

Why use eNpower?

  • Keeps your nitrogen where you put it, making it more available to your crop and protecting your fertiliser blend investment 
  • Boosts nitrogen use efficiency 
  • It can help combat three of the four loss pathways – run-off, leaching and denitrification. Nitrogen loss through volatilisation (and run-off) is best managed by application method and depth of soil cover. 
  • Helps manage greenhouse gas emissions with lower nitrous oxide losses. 

Further Information

For more information on using eNpower, contact IPF Tropical Systems Agronomist Robert Dwyer on 0428 111 471 or email rob.dwyer@incitecpivot.com.au. 

References 

Grace P, De Rosa D, Shcherbak I, Strazzabosco A, Rowlings D, Scheer C, Barton L, Weijin W, Schwenke G, Armstrong R, Porter I, Bell M (2024) Revised emission factors for estimating direct nitrous oxide emissions from nitrogen inputs in Australia’s agricultural production systems: a meta-analysis.  Soil Research 62, SR23070.