The commodity market super-cycle and food price crisis have been associated with rampant food insecurity and the Arab spring. A multitude of factors were identified as culprits for excessive volatility on the commodity markets. However, as it regards fertilizers, a clear attribution of market drivers explaining the emergence of extreme price events is still missing. In this paper, we provide a ...

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important greenhouse gas and a primary cause of stratospheric ozone destruction. Despite its importance, there remain missing sources in the N2O budget. Here we report the formation of atmospheric nitrous oxide from the decomposition of ammonium nitrate via an abiotic mechanism that is favorable in the presence of light, relative humidity and a surface. This source of ...

Embryonic mortality in many aquatic animals, including most amphibian species, is usually very high. In addition to mechanical and chemical defences, some species have developed behavioural patterns that can increase egg survival. For example, females of some newt species protect their eggs by wrapping them in leaves of aquatic plants. We have studied the effects of ammonium nitrate (nominal co...

This field experiment was established in Eastern Cameroon to examine the effect of selected rhizobial inoculation on N2-fixation and growth of Pueraria phaseoloides. Treatments consisted of noninoculated and Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense S3-4-inoculated Pueraria with three replications each. Ipomoea batatas as a non-N2-fixing reference was interspersed in each Pueraria plot. All the twelve plots ...

The increase in the biofuel production has generated a lot of byproducts. These are rich in various plant nutrients. The laboratory incubation can provide an idea of their effects on soil and environment, and fertilizer applicability before field application. In the present study, two types of biogas byproducts were selected as biochar and digested liquid. Two concentrations of each was applied...

At the end of November 1914 Lord Moulton (1844-1921) became the director of explosives production in the War Office. A 70-year-old jurist may seem an extraordinary choice, but he was an extraordinary man. He was Senior Wrangler at Cambridge, was elected to the Royal Society for research on electricity, and learned about chemistry as a barrister for dye and explosives manufacturers. He assembled...

We measure the diffuse reflection spectrum of solid samples such as explosives (TNT, RDX, PETN), fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, urea), and paints (automotive and military grade) at a stand-off distance of 5 m using a mid-infrared supercontinuum light source with 3.9 W average output power. The output spectrum extends from 750-4300 nm, and it is generated by nonlinear spectral broadening in a 9 ...

Research has shown that alum [Al(2)(SO(4))(3).14H(2)O] applications to poultry litter can greatly reduce phosphorus (P) runoff, as well as decrease ammonia (NH(3)) volatilization. However, the long-term effects of fertilizing with alum-treated litter are unknown. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the long-term effects of normal poultry litter, alum-treated litter, and ammonium nitra...

Ammonium nitrate (AN) is commonly used as a fertilizer and is the fundamental ingredient of industrial explosives [1]. It has been observed that one of the most important factors that affect explosive performance of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil is the prills volume of porosity. The large amount of porosity identified in explosive grade AN prills allows for an absorption rate between 12 and 16 ...

The article studies the process of obtaining carbonate-ammonium nitrate (CAN) based on mixing melt ammonium (NH4NO3) with chalk (СаСО3) and sulfate (NH4)2SO4). For granulation nitrate-sulfate-carbonate prilling method is applied using a tower. Determined composition properties new types fertilizers. It shown that ratio NH4NO3 : СаСО3 (NH4)2SO4 = 100 24 1 product contains 28,03% N, SO3 – 0,50%, ...