Driving through town the last week I have met countless farmers hauling those big white tanks from Coop. Those tanks are filled with Anhydrous ammonia or NH3. Anhydrous ammonia is one of the most effective sources of nitrogen for plant growth but also a worrisome time for a farm wife.

Although it’s a great fertilizer, it can also be deadly. When stored in the tanks under pressure it is in liquid form, but when released is a gas. Anhydrous means without water, so when anhydrous ammonia and moisture come into contact, they rapidly combine. When it is injected into the soil it is immediately absorbed in the soil moisture. Similarly, when it comes in contact with a person it will cause dehydration, cell destruction, chemical burns, and death if the person can’t escape.

So if it can be so nasty, why do they use it? First, it’s the most efficient and environmentally friendly way to get nitrogen to the plant. Research shows that nitrogen supplied as ammonia is used by crops as effectively as nitrogen from any other source. It’s also the most cost effective choice when you factor in all costs and best uses the farmer’s time and resources. It’s readily available and is relatively easy to apply.

Fun fact: Farmers in the US use 11 million tons of industrially created nitrogen each year. According to one estimate, to maintain soil fertility without man-made sources of nitrogen, it would take the manure from approximately 1 billion additional cattle. Those cattle would require another 2 billion acres to feed. That feed demand would take roughly the entire continental United States.