Fertilizer is the hidden engine of modern agriculture, but it is also one of its most fragile links. Over the last few years, farmers worldwide have been whipsawed by nitrogen price spikes, supply interruptions, and growing pressure to cut greenhouse gases. A new class of technologies is taking aim at all three challenges by moving nitrogen production to the farm gate. Instead of relying on distant, fossil-fueled plants, modular systems powered by renewable electricity can synthesize fertilizer on site—sometimes from little more than air and water. If they scale, on-farm nitrogen could reshape how growers plan, purchase, and apply one of their most important inputs.

Why make nitrogen on the farm?

Conventional nitrogen fertilizer—urea, ammonium nitrate, and ammonia—comes primarily from the century-old Haber–Bosch process, which reacts hydrogen with nitrogen at high heat and pressure. The hydrogen is usually derived from natural gas, yielding significant carbon emissions. In typical configurations, producing one metric ton of ammonia releases well over a metric ton of CO₂ before the fertilizer even touches a field.

For growers, the impact shows up as volatility and risk. Natural gas price spikes ripple into nitrogen prices. Geopolitics, shipping constraints, and plant outages can tighten supply just as crops need feeding. On-farm production flips that logic: when a farm can turn local electricity, water, and the nitrogen in air into fertilizer, supply risk and transport costs drop. If the power is renewable, so do embedded emissions.

Three technological paths to on-site nitrogen

Not all on-farm systems make the same product, and that matters for agronomy, safety, and economics. Today’s contenders fall into three broad approaches.

1) Modular green ammonia: a familiar molecule, a new scale

These units pair an electrolyzer—splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen—with a compact ammonia synthesis loop. The result is traditional ammonia (NH₃), but made with electricity instead of natural gas. Ammonia is energy-dense and versatile: it can be injected as anhydrous, converted to ammonium hydroxide for liquid applications, or used as a precursor to other nitrogen products on site.

Containerized systems range from small modules designed for a single large farm or cooperative to multi-megawatt clusters serving regional hubs. Because the chemistry is known and the product is standard, the main hurdles are capital cost, reliable operation at small scale, and access to low-cost electricity. Where wind or solar is abundant—or where off-peak power is discounted—levelized costs can become competitive with delivered fossil-based ammonia, especially when transport premiums are high.

2) Plasma and electrochemical nitrate: skipping ammonia entirely

Another route uses electrical energy to fix nitrogen directly into nitric acid or nitrate solution. Solar-powered plasma reactors, for example, generate reactive nitrogen oxides from air that are absorbed into water, producing a liquid fertilizer suitable for fertigation. These systems avoid handling anhydrous ammonia and can dose nitrate precisely through existing drip or sprinkler infrastructure.

A related approach treats livestock slurry or digestate with plasma or acid to lock in nitrogen as ammonium nitrate while also reducing ammonia volatilization during storage. The treated material becomes a more consistent, mineral-rich fertilizer with lower odor and improved nitrogen retention, useful where farms already manage liquid manure streams.

3) Direct electrochemical nitrogen reduction: promising, but early

Researchers are pursuing catalysts that reduce nitrogen to ammonia at ambient conditions in an electrochemical cell. If successful at scale and efficiency, this could simplify equipment and lower pressures and temperatures. However, most systems today are confined to laboratories or pilot rigs, with efficiency and selectivity still improving. Farmers should view this pathway as one to watch rather than one to buy today.

What the products look like on the farm

Because outputs differ, so do handling and application practices.

• Ammonia systems typically produce anhydrous ammonia for injection or convert it to aqueous solutions (e.g., 19–30% NH₃ by weight). Existing bars and nurse tanks may remain useful, but permitting, safety training, and storage codes apply.
• Plasma-nitrate units produce dilute nitric acid or nitrate solutions often tailored for fertigation. These integrate well with precision irrigation, allow frequent micro-dosing, and avoid pressurized ammonia handling.
• Manure-treatment systems deliver stabilized slurry with higher plant-available nitrogen and reduced losses during storage and land application, potentially replacing some purchased mineral nitrogen.

Economics: the power price sets the pace

For all on-farm nitrogen systems, electricity cost is the dominant operating expense. As a rule of thumb:

• Modular green ammonia becomes competitive when farms can secure reliable power in a low to moderate cents-per-kilowatt-hour range, especially if they can run units flexibly to chase off-peak rates.
• Plasma-nitrate systems can be more tolerant of intermittent power because they store product as liquid and pair well with behind-the-meter solar. Their economics hinge on the value of precision fertigation and the avoidance of anhydrous logistics.
• When policies reward low-carbon fertilizer or low-carbon hydrogen, credits and certificates can materially improve the business case.

Capital costs vary widely by capacity and configuration. Some vendors offer equipment sales; others provide fertilizer-as-a-service, installing and operating the unit while selling product by the ton. For growers, the comparison should include avoided transport and storage costs, potential yield benefits from better timing and placement, and any incentives tied to carbon intensity.

Agronomy: same nutrient, different levers

On-farm production changes not just how nitrogen arrives, but when and in what form it is applied.

• Form and timing: Frequent low-dose fertigation with nitrate can match crop uptake more closely than bulk pre-plant applications, lowering the risk of loss between rain events. Ammonia-based systems support traditional injection but can also feed conversion to urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) blends on site.
• pH and compatibility: Nitric acid streams may acidify irrigation water, which can be beneficial in alkaline soils but requires attention to compatibility with pipes and emitters. Aqueous ammonia raises pH locally; correct dilution and injection points matter.
• Loss pathways: Stabilizing manure or switching to micro-dosing can reduce volatilization and leaching. However, nitrate is mobile; precision scheduling and soil moisture monitoring remain essential.
• 4R stewardship: The principles of applying the right source, rate, time, and place still govern. On-farm systems expand the toolbox for getting each “R” closer to optimal.

Safety and permitting

Ammonia is a hazardous chemical requiring training, personal protective equipment, and compliant storage. Farms already handling anhydrous will find familiar procedures; newcomers should plan for inspections and emergency protocols. Nitrate solutions are less hazardous to handle but are corrosive at higher acid concentrations and must be managed to prevent environmental releases. Local regulations for chemical storage, backflow prevention on fertigation lines, and spill containment apply.

Environmental ledger: emissions down, stewardship still critical

Shifting from fossil-based to renewable-powered nitrogen can cut embedded emissions substantially, and on-site production removes transport legs. Technologies that stabilize manure can also curb ammonia and methane losses in storage. Still, field emissions of nitrous oxide and nitrate runoff depend on agronomy. The climate promise of on-farm nitrogen is realized only when production decarbonization is paired with precise application and soil-health practices.

Market landscape and readiness

Several companies now market or pilot modular systems across these pathways. Some deliver containerized green ammonia plants sized for large row-crop farms or farm clusters; others place plasma-nitrate units at specialty crop operations, greenhouses, or dairies where fertigation or slurry management is central. Offerings differ in maturity, capacity, service model, and certification of product quality.

Before signing, growers should evaluate demonstrated uptime, local service capability, consumables and maintenance schedules, integration with existing equipment, and the vendor’s plan to handle byproducts (like oxygen from electrolysis). Warranty terms and performance guarantees tied to electricity price, tonnage, and nutrient concentration are especially important.

Policy signals to watch

• Clean hydrogen and clean ammonia credits that lower the effective cost of renewable-powered synthesis.
• Public procurement or certification schemes for low-carbon fertilizer that create a premium for reduced embedded emissions.
• Grid tariffs that reward flexible loads, enabling units to run when power is cheapest and cleanest.
• Environmental regulations that recognize manure stabilization benefits, potentially unlocking compliance credits.

Questions growers should ask vendors

• What forms and concentrations of nitrogen does the unit produce, and how will they integrate with my application equipment?
• What is the verified energy use per unit of nitrogen delivered at my expected operating conditions?
• What are the maintenance intervals, consumables, and service response times?
• How does the system handle power variability, and what are the options for load shifting or storage?
• What are the safety, permitting, and training requirements for my site?
• Are performance guarantees linked to electricity price, ambient temperature, or input water quality?
• Can I document the fertilizer’s carbon intensity for buyers or sustainability programs?

What’s next

Over the next two to three seasons, expect larger pilot clusters, more fertilizer-as-a-service contracts that de-risk capex, and tighter integration with irrigation controllers, soil sensors, and farm management software. If electricity prices remain favorable and policy support endures, on-farm nitrogen could migrate from early adopters in specialty crops and livestock operations to broader row-crop use, particularly in regions with strong wind and solar resources.

The core bet is simple: moving nitrogen production closer to where plants actually grow can make supply more resilient, costs more predictable, and emissions lower. The execution—choosing the right pathway, sizing the system, and dialing in agronomy—will determine who captures those benefits first.