Circular nitrogen as fertiliser for greenhouse horticulture

Added on 16 April 2025

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Circular nitrogen as fertiliser for greenhouse horticulture

Photo: WUR

Exploring new ways to utilise nitrogen-based fertilisers plays a crucial role in the transition towards a more circular greenhouse horticulture sector. For nitrogen to be used efficiently and safely, the nutrient must be both pure and highly soluble. Alexander van Tuyll from Wageningen University & Research’s Business Unit Greenhouse Horticulture (WUR) highlights the possibilities for using circular nitrogen from residual streams and green alternatives to conventional chemical processes.

Plants require nitrogen to grow. Although the air around us consists of 78% nitrogen, its natural form—N2—is not directly available to plants, explains researcher Alexander van Tuyll. “In order to use atmospheric nitrogen as a nutrient, the nitrogen atoms must first be split. Since these atoms are very tightly bonded, breaking them apart requires a great deal of energy. The most common method for doing this is the Haber-Bosch process, but this process relies heavily on natural gas. Natural gas is associated with CO2 emissions and frequent price fluctuations, which is why we are keen to move away from it.”

A project in collaboration with the Club of 100

There are various alternatives for nitrogen fertilisation, such as extracting nitrogen from the air without using natural gas, or reusing nitrogen from residual streams.