2022-10-11 October 13 - WORLD FERTILIZER DAY
Fritz Haber's invention in 1908 was the basis for the development of the process for obtaining ammonia from nitrogen in the air and hydrogen from natural gas. This discovery, followed by the development of a high pressure reactor by Carl Bosch in 1911, was the origin of the industrial production of ammoniacal fertilizers in 1913.
World Fertilizer Day is celebrated on October 13, commemorating the Haber-Bosch patent, which has made it possible to use the nitrogen present in the air to manufacture ammonia and nitrogenous fertilizers from it, laying the foundations of the world fertilizer industry. fertilizers. Every year, companies and organizations in the sector come together to celebrate the achievements that have been obtained thanks to the use of fertilizers, through various events organized worldwide.
The National Association of Fertilizer Manufacturers (ANFFE), which represents the main fertilizer producers operating in Spain, has once again joined this great celebration to remember that mineral fertilizers are essential and to point out the efforts made by its companies to promote their rational application.
In the current context of uncertainty in the sector, due to the high prices of natural gas, electricity and some raw materials, the need has been confirmed to guarantee the maintenance of a strong European industry, which will ensure the availability of fertilizers and reduce our foreign dependence, especially on Russia, in order to guarantee the availability of food in Europe.
Remember that fertilizers:
- They complement the soil nutrients, allowing to cover the nutritional needs of crops and significantly increasing production. In long-term trials, published in the Horticulture Proceedings of the IV Jornadas de Fertilización of the Spanish Society of Horticultural Sciences (SECH), it was shown that insufficient nitrogen fertilization for several years produced yields of 50% compared to optimal fertilization.
- They help produce quality food at an affordable price and contribute to global food security and save millions of people from famine. In 2008 it was estimated that the basic nutrition of 48% of the world population is based on inorganic nitrogen fertilization, which depends on the Haber-Bosch process.
- They provide a great benefit to the planet, since without them agriculture would need an additional 1.1 billion hectares of virgin land to grow the food needed to feed the world's population.
