Fertilizer Mixing and Blending Systems: Manufacturers Have High Expectations for 2023 and Beyond
March 8, 2023 Manufacturers consider many variables when making their short- and long-term plans. It’s natural for most to believe the “up” side of the equation. That certainly seems to be the case for mixing and blending systems manufacturers heading into the growing season.
Expectations
It’s little wonder that as we the world begins to emerge from Covid restrictions manufacturers of mixing and blending systems have high hopes for 2023 and beyond.
“AGI expects the fertilizer blending segment to continue the trend of accelerated growth as more customers revitalize existing facilities and expand to serve their customer base,” says Bob Fitzpatrick, Product Segment Manager – Global Product Management Fertilizer Products & Systems, Ag Growth International (AGI). “We expect substantial growth in the global developing regions that are focusing on increasing food production through utilization of prescriptive fertilizer blends driven by agronomy analysis. AGI expects the fertilizer segment to continue its evolution of agronomy-based field analysis and highly accurate fertilizer blends for targeted application and continued integration into ERP systems for real-time data analytics.”
Fertilizer prices skyrocketed last year following the conflict in Eastern Europe. For that reason, among others, growers need to be as efficient as possible with their fertilizer spend.
“There is likely to be continued demand for fertilizers in the future, as the global population continues to grow and the need for food increases,” says Nate Reznechek, Sales Director-Fertilizer, GSI. “However, the use of fertilizers can also have negative environmental impacts, such as pollution of waterways. As a result, there may be a shift towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly fertilizers in the future that are less harmful to the environment.”
The team at Murray Equipment Inc. (MEI) agrees.
“We expect to continue to see an increase in demand,” says Todd Scobie, MEI Sales & Marketing Manager. “The ROI we can provide when replacing aging facilities and the strategic advantage we can offer to retailers looking to expand their reach, makes new blending facilities an easy decision. Just the improvements in inventory management alone, not to mention customer satisfaction, make new mixing and blending systems a no-brainer.”
Nate Wittmaack, President and COO for Ranco Fertiservice, says manufacturers need to go beyond the basics. “Value added products will continue to be a big part of most systems going forward,” he says. “The biggest push is trying to do more with less. This means trying to limit the labor input required to send blended and straight product out the door.”
Drivers
Like even the most basic technologies, mixing and blending systems have continued to evolve and manufacturers are delivering new features.
Reznechek lists several factors growers consider before making the make the final decision.
- Cost: Growers will need to consider the upfront cost of purchasing or upgrading the system, ongoing maintenance and repair costs as well as the overall longevity.
- Ease of use: Growers will likely want a blending system that is easy to operate and maintain. They may also be interested in systems that offer features such as automation, which can make the process of blending fertilizers easier and more efficient.
- Blend Quality: They will want a system that produces consistent, high-quality blends that meet their specific needs.
- Capacity: Growers will want a system that can handle their production needs efficiently and effectively.
- Customization: Some growers may be interested in blending systems that offer a high level of customization, allowing them to tailor the blend and the operation to their specific needs.
- Warranty and support: A system with a good warranty and reliable customer support may be more attractive to growers.
Of course, it’s not just the growers that are looking at new mixing and blending systems.
“Larger ag retail companies are continuing to expand their capabilities in terms of servicing growers’ needs,” Wittmaack says. “These growth strategy decisions drive the entire industry, because if you are a smaller ag retailer and you want to compete, often times that means upgrading your capabilities as well.”
Murray offers a few other reasons for the growing interest in a new or upgraded system.
“With high inventory costs and labor shortages, fertilizer manufacturers look to software to increase productivity, reduce errors, and improve inventory management,” says Dan Murray, President, ICS, a division of MEI. “Since ICS handles both liquid and dry fertilizer manufacturing, employees are able to familiarize themselves with the system and use it across multiple locations. Additionally, with online training and help videos, new employees can get up to speed more quickly.”
As operations continue to become more technologically advanced, interconnectivity is key.
“We see significant opportunities in plant and equipment control automation development to link customers corporate wide ERP systems into all blending locations,” Fitzpatrick says. “We are seeing demand for improved user screens and graphics specific for each facility along with real time data on equipment status as well as maintenance window.”
Company News
AGI Yargus: “AGI is always making system improvements whether that be mechanical design, equipment controls or automation functionality. Recently, AGI issued new releases of the Plant Manager software suite. AGI Plant Manager is the result of combining 30-plus years of fertilizer system automation functionality. Combining the functionalities of our well-established legacy manufacturing software suites, AGI Plant Manager unifies a comprehensive automation platform covering all liquid and dry fertilizer blending needs.” – Bob Fitzpatrick
Ranco Fertiservice: “The Ranco MeshDCS Declining Weigh blend system continues to be a market leader in terms of continuous blending. We believe that it is the premier approach to providing blended dry fertilizer. We can also accommodate loading straight product at impressive speeds. We utilize Drag Chain Meter Units that are capable of dispensing 150 tons per hour per meter unit. If the business requires straight goods at high speeds, we can provide bins with dual chains, allowing us to achieve up to 300 TPH out of a single product hopper.” – Nate Wittmaack
ICS: “Thanks to software, innovations to blending systems are happening more rapidly. The challenge is systems are aging more quickly. With ICS ControlPro, we can send out updates to extend the lifetime of their investment, to ensure our retailers continue to have a competitive edge. But more importantly this allows them to continually offer better service to their growers.” – Dan Murray
Murray Equipment Inc.: “We pair the latest control and automation software with unique equipment and plumbing designs to provide speed, efficiency and accuracy. We can save time by using multiple meters for custody transfer. Or, we can setup valve and meter control schemes for increased batching and sequencing to keep the production process flowing.” – Todd Scobie
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