Completed project
The effects of using anhydrous ammonia to supply nitrogen to vegetable crops (VG15062)
Publication date: January 10, 2017
Delivery Partner: Applied Horticultural Research
Anhydrous ammonia is a high-nitrogen fertiliser used widely in the cotton and grain industries. This project investigated the potential for its use in the vegetable industry as a cost-effective and efficient method of supplying nitrogen to crops.
The researchers found that the fertiliser, which is applied using specialised equipment, has beneficial effects on soil microbes, nitrifying bacteria and worms. It is also initially converted in the soil to ammonium, which can be held in the soil and resists leaching.
They suggested that anhydrous ammonia could be used effectively in the vegetable industry, though it is more suited to row crops than crops such as baby leaf, which require more even distribution of nitrogen across the beds.
Read the project’s fact sheet Anhydrous ammonia for vegetable crops: Could it be a viable option?
This project was a strategic levy investment in the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund
© 2026 Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited.
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