Montreal-based Sollio Agriculture, the Agri-business Division of Sollio Cooperative Group (formerly La Coop fédérée), on Sept. 18 inaugurated CRF Agritech, a new controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) production plant in St. Thomas, Ont.
The project was launched in 2021 after Sollio Agriculture entered a joint venture with several of its cooperatives in Québec, its Agromart retail partners in Ontario and the Maritimes, and fertilizer technology provider Pursell, Sylacauga, Ala. (GM Sept. 3, 2021).
With an area of 25,800 square feet, the new plant required an investment of more than C$25 million. At full capacity, it will manufacture over 100,000 mt/y of next-generation CRF, including PurYield, for farmers across Eastern Canada and the Northeastern US. It will also be able to produce other coated fertilizer for uses other than agricultural.
“This strategic partnership between Pursell and the Sollio Agriculture network allows us to expand the potential market for this technology and support nutrient management initiatives associated with the use of fertilizer products,” said Sollio Agriculture CEO Casper Kaastra. “PurYield is an exciting addition to our portfolio, providing substantial benefit to farmers across the region.”
“We’re proud to extend the scope of our technology to new markets and establish ourselves for the first time in Canada with a partner recognized in the agricultural industry,” said Pursell CFO Joe Brady. This was the first license of Pursell technology outside of the US.
Pursell, which opened its flagship fertilizer coating plant in Sylacauga in early 2018, is also operating a newer plant in Savannah, Ga. (GM May 28, 2021).
As part of the Fertilizer Accelerating Solutions & Technology Challenge of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Ontario, CRF Agritech was awarded C$154,000 (GM April 28, p. 29). This grant made it possible to speed up production and farmers’ adoption of the new generation of fertilizer technology.
Initial studies conducted by the Sollio Agriculture research team and McGill University show that the use of PurYield fertilizer has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30%. Additional scientific testing and validation is currently underway.
Thanks to a grant of C$180,000 awarded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, announced in August, McGill researchers will be able to compare PurYield fertilizer to commonly used uncoated urea fertilizer for its ability to increase growth, yield, and quality of corn grain, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sollio has committed to providing an additional $30,000 per year in cash and in-kind contributions for three years. The research project is also in collaboration with Avantis Cooperative, Sainte-Marie, Quebec.
In addition to CRF products that contain nitrogen, phosphate, and potash, as well as customized plant nutrition options, Pursell technology also enables the addition of micronutrients, biologicals, growth enhancers, and soil health promoters.