The Department of Agriculture has approved a new urease inhibitor for protected urea.

Nutrisphere, supplied by Gouldings in Ireland, is a mixture of organic acids and claims to maintain shelf life for 12 months when mixed as a compound fertiliser with P, K and S.

Protected urea significantly reduces ammonia losses to the atmosphere and Ireland currently has a target, outlined in Ag Climatise, to use 100% protected urea by the end of this year.

Protected urea sales have increased in recent years.

In 2018, 55,232t of urea was sold in the Republic of Ireland and 3,241t of this was protected urea.

In 2022, 82,971t of urea was sold and 30,148t of this was protected.

In total for the 2022 fertiliser year, 195,683t of straight nitrogen was sold, while a further 147,510t of nitrogen was sold in compound fertiliser.

At present, four inhibitors are approved for use in Ireland :NBPT, 2-NPT, NBPT and NPPT and Nutrisphere-N.