Fertilizer has always been the fulcrum of modern agriculture, but it also ties farmers to volatile global markets and energy prices. Over the past few years, supply shocks and price spikes have sharpened interest in a different approach: producing nitrogen fertilizer right on the farm using electricity, air and water. A new wave of compact “plasma nitrogen” systems—and a handful of modular green ammonia units—aims to localize production, shrink emissions and give producers greater control over both cost and timing.

What on-farm nitrogen production actually is

Two broad technologies are emerging:

• Plasma-based nitric fertilizer: These units create a low-temperature plasma—a highly reactive ionized gas—using air and electricity. The plasma converts atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) and oxygen (O₂) into reactive nitrogen oxides (NO and NO₂, collectively called NOx). Bubbling those gases through water (or directly into manure/slurry) forms nitric and nitrous acids, which in turn create nitrate- and nitrite-rich fertilizer solutions.
• Modular green ammonia: Small containerized plants combine nitrogen from air with hydrogen from water electrolysis to synthesize ammonia (NH₃). This mirrors conventional fertilizer production but at farm or community scale and powered by renewable electricity rather than fossil gas.

Both pathways turn air into plant-available nitrogen; the first yields nitrate-dominant liquid fertilizers, and the second yields ammonia or ammonium. The key promise is similar: a local, electrically driven nitrogen supply that decouples farms from global commodity swings and reduces embedded carbon if powered by clean energy.

How plasma nitrogen works, in plain terms

Plasma systems rely on high-voltage electrical fields—often in devices known as gliding arc or dielectric barrier discharge reactors—to energize air molecules. In the plasma zone, nitrogen and oxygen collide and form NOx. That NOx dissolves in water or slurry, generating nitric species that are stable in solution and usable by crops. When applied as a nitrogen-enriched liquid, the result is an immediately available nitrogen source with an acidifying effect that curbs ammonia volatilization.

Several farm-scale pilots integrate plasma units directly with manure storage. Treating slurry adds nitrate-N while lowering pH, which can reduce nitrogen losses during storage and spreading. It also lets farms “upcycle” existing nutrients, potentially cutting mineral fertilizer purchases.

Why it’s attracting attention now

• Price volatility: Nitrogen fertilizer costs track natural gas and global trade dynamics. Producing on-site turns electricity—especially farm-owned solar or wind—into a predictable input.
• Climate pressure: Conventional ammonia and nitric acid production is energy intensive. On-farm, renewably powered systems can lower scope 3 emissions for food companies and potentially open access to low-carbon premiums.
• Nutrient management: Capturing nitrogen in livestock manure and reducing losses improves nutrient efficiency and can ease compliance with tightening ammonia and nitrate regulations.
• Grid flexibility: Units can run when electricity is cheapest or self-generated, converting surplus renewable power into a storable farm input.

Energy use and carbon: what’s realistic

Any process that fixes atmospheric nitrogen is energy intensive. Published pilot data and vendor specifications vary, but a few principles hold:

• Plasma nitrate: Demonstrated systems typically report energy use in the tens of kilowatt-hours per kilogram of nitrogen fixed, depending on reactor design, feed (clean water vs. slurry), and operating mode. Performance continues to improve, and farms often care as much about avoided nitrogen losses and logistics savings as about pure conversion efficiency.
• Modular green ammonia: Overall electricity demand depends on electrolyzer efficiency and synthesis conditions. When powered by low-carbon electricity, life-cycle emissions can be substantially lower than conventional ammonia, with the added benefit of removing long-distance transport emissions.

The carbon story hinges on electricity source: the greener the power, the lower the embedded emissions in the resulting fertilizer. Time-of-use optimization—running during sunny or windy periods—improves both cost and carbon outcomes.

Agronomic effects beyond “more nitrogen”

Plasma-treated liquids are not just carriers of nitrate; they alter the chemistry of the material they treat:

• Lower pH reduces ammonia loss: Acidifying manure or digestate curbs ammonia volatilization during storage and field application, improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE).
• Immediate availability: Nitrate-N is directly available to plants, which helps with early growth or short growing windows. That cuts the lag time associated with mineralization of organic nitrogen.
• Potential for balanced nutrition: Treated slurries still deliver organic matter and other nutrients (K, P, micronutrients), supporting soil structure and biology.

On the flip side, nitrate-heavy programs may require attention to timing and rate to avoid leaching on sandy soils or ahead of heavy rainfall. Because plasma treatment acidifies the liquid, farms may need to monitor soil pH and adjust liming over time.

Where it’s being tried

Farm-scale plasma units have been piloted most visibly on dairy and mixed farms in Northern and Western Europe, where manure management regulations are strict and electricity markets favor flexible loads. Trials have also been reported in the UK and parts of North America. Systems are typically sized to treat a farm’s own slurry stream or to produce a few tons of nitrate-nitrogen equivalent per year for direct field application.

Modular green ammonia deployments remain limited but are emerging near grain operations with large nitrogen demand or where wind and solar capacity can be dedicated to production. Some projects aim to serve clusters of farms or co-ops rather than single operations.

Costs, savings and payback

Unit economics hinge on a short list of variables:

• Electricity price and availability: Low-cost or self-generated power is the biggest lever.
• Avoided mineral fertilizer: Every kilogram of nitrogen fixed on-site displaces purchased product, with added value if plasma treatment prevents losses from manure.
• Logistics: Fewer deliveries, less storage risk, and the ability to produce “just in time” for application windows.
• Environmental credits: Some regions offer incentives or credits for ammonia emission reductions, improved manure management, or low-carbon fertilizer use.

Capital costs for farm-scale plasma systems fall into the “specialized implement” category rather than heavy industrial plant. Many providers offer leasing or service models that bundle maintenance and upgrades. Because performance depends on farm-specific factors—herd size, slurry volume, cropping plans—payback periods can range widely. Farms with high fertilizer spend and access to inexpensive power are typically the earliest adopters.

Operational considerations and safety

• Integration with manure handling: Most systems tie into existing slurry reception pits or circulation loops. Consistent flow and mixing improve nitrogen capture and product uniformity.
• Application equipment: Nitrate-enriched liquids can be applied through standard slurry spreaders or injection systems. Precision application tools (flow control, sensor-guided rates) maximize NUE.
• Electrical and chemical safety: Plasma reactors use high voltage, and generated acids lower pH. Proper enclosures, gas handling, and operator training are core design requirements.
• Service and uptime: Electrodes and reactor components are wear parts; access to service and remote monitoring matters for reliability.

Policy and certification landscape

Regulators are still catching up to on-farm nitrogen. Key themes include:

• Fertilizer classification: In some jurisdictions, plasma-treated slurry is regulated as a manure-derived product with specific application windows and storage rules; in others, it may qualify as a processed fertilizer with different thresholds.
• Emissions accounting: Programs that quantify ammonia, nitrous oxide, or methane reductions can reward farms that improve manure management and switch to lower-emission nitrogen sources.
• Traceability: Buyers increasingly want proof that inputs are low-carbon. Digital logs from on-farm production units and field applications can feed into sustainability reporting.

How it compares with other “low-carbon nitrogen” options

• Enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs): Coatings and inhibitors reduce losses from conventional nitrogen. They’re drop-in solutions but still rely on external supply and global prices.
• Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) products: Microbial inoculants promise to supply plant-available nitrogen, especially in corn and small grains. Field results vary by environment, and rates may not match commodity-scale nitrogen needs.
• Cover crops and rotations: These build soil nitrogen and reduce dependence on synthetic inputs but require land, time and management changes.
• On-farm plasma/green ammonia: Higher operational complexity than a delivered product, but greater autonomy and a path to deep decarbonization when powered by renewables.

What to watch in the next 24 months

• Efficiency gains: Reactor designs that push more nitrogen fixation per kilowatt-hour will broaden viability.
• Service models: “Fertilizer-as-a-service” offerings—where a provider installs, runs and maintains the unit and charges per kilogram of nitrogen delivered—could lower adoption barriers.
• Interoperability: Software links between production units, nutrient planning tools, and field equipment will help farmers target rates and document sustainability impacts.
• Cooperative deployments: Shared systems at the dairy or grain co-op level may unlock economies of scale in purchasing, maintenance and grid connections.
• Policy alignment: Clear recognition of plasma-treated products within fertilizer regulations and emissions programs will influence uptake.

Bottom line

On-farm nitrogen production won’t replace the global fertilizer industry overnight, but it’s moving from lab curiosity to practical tool. For operations with the right power profile and nutrient management needs, plasma-based nitrate systems can turn air and electricity into a reliable, lower-emission nitrogen stream while improving the value of existing manure. Modular green ammonia offers another path for larger nitrogen users. As energy markets decarbonize and digital tools tighten nutrient management, localized nitrogen production could become a core piece of resilient, climate-smart farming.