Ames, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship reports that a new set of voluntary guidelines for plumbing multi-tank anhydrous ammonia systems has been recently developed by a coalition of state government, academia, and industry representatives. Each year in Iowa approximately a billion pounds of nitrogen is applied as anhydrous ammonia. As equipment has gotten larger, many dealers are now using multi-tank systems with two anhydrous ammonia tanks mounted on a single wagon running gear. With anhydrous ammonia under pressure, safety is always a concern when plumbing and working around application equipment. "Plumbing for a multi-tank system presents unique challenges," according to Mark Hanna, Iowa State University Extension ag engineer. "Valve location and selection are important decisions impacting safe use. As an example, valves meant to provide excess-flow protection should not be oversized." The guidelines, including sketches of suggested plumbing configurations, can be viewed by going to http://www.agriculture.state.ia.us/feedAndFertilizer/pdfs/VoluntaryGuideline%20PlumbingTwoNH3Tanks2012.pdf). The guidelines are voluntary, but dealers and applicators with multiple-tank systems are encouraged to consider the recommendations as equipment is readied for the fall application season.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain