Proposal For More Efficient Fertiliser

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31152, 31 August 1966, Page 3

Proposal For More Efficient Fertiliser

(New Zealand Press Association*

WANGANUI, August 3ft,

A proposal to increase farm production by the manufacture of a highly-efficient fertiliser has been submitted to the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Shelton) by Mr T. W. Prentice, headmaster of the Carlton School. Mr Prentice said the scheme could help the country’s economy by eliminating the need for imports of base fertiliser chemicals.

An industrial chemist today said Mr Prentice’s proposal was not only feasible, but also was working economically overseas.

In his letter to Mr Shelton. Mr Prentice said there was a need to conserve valuable funds used to purchase items overseas, “for example, the £4.244.359 spent on chemical fertiliser in 1957-58.”

He said the ultimate potential of 6201 b of butterfat an acre in New Zealand could be achieved only by the use of meal feeding and irrigation, in addition to pasture management and fertilising. He proposed that New Zealand manufacture urea, a fertiliser with a 45 per cent nitrogen content and formaldehyde. “The ingredients necessary for the production of urea are steam, air and coke. The formaldehyde is derived from the partial oxidation of hydrocarbons from natural gas or the action of oxygen from the air on methanol.” said Mr

Prentice. He emphasised that he was presenting his proposal as a layman with very little knowledge of chemistry, but it appeared to him that all the materials were abundant in New

Zealand “and the know-how could be Easily acquired.” “You realise that nationalism in Nauru, our traditional source of fertilisers, plus dwindling supplies, will eventually pose a serious problem in New Zealand.” said Mr Prentice.

The question of the better utilisation of New Zealand’s mineral resources should be investigated. Mr Prentice included in his letter a graph of the breakdown of urea. An industrial chemist said Mr Prentice’s figures were correct.

The chemist said the proposal had already been successful overseas, and was becoming the trend today. Sulphate of ammonia was used in everyday fertilisers in New Zealand. It had only a 22 per cent nitrogen content. compared with the 45 ner cent nitrogen content of urea.

He considered that a plant required to produce urea would cost a great deal of money, but would eventually produce a doubly-efficient fertiliser. as well as the plastic by-products, more cheaply than it cost to import chemicals at present.