b'SENSE, NONSENSE AND SCIENCEBY: JOE SCHWARCZPUTINS APPETITE FOR WAR HAS THE WORLD FEELING PANGS OF HUNGERA ly can flap its wings inDuring the 19th century, the majorA breath-taking discovery! Ammonia gas butterfPeking, and in Central Park, yousource of nitrogen fertilizer in Europe wascould be pumped directly into soil as a fer-get rain instead of sunshine.guano (bird poop) imported from Southtilizer, or even better, could be converted That memorable quote comes from JeffAmerica or some Pacific islands. Still, allinto water-soluble ammonium nitrate by Goldblum in Jurassic Park as he tries tothe bird droppings that Europeans couldreaction with nitric acid, which itself could explain how worldly events can be inter- import were not enough to feed the grow- be made from ammonia. Urea, also pro-related in a complex fashion. We now haveing agricultural industry. Luckily, though,duced from ammonia, eventually proved just such a situation with the tragic war inlarge deposits of sodium nitrate, betterto be an even more efficient fertilizer the Ukraine. Its tentacles are reaching allknown as saltpetre, were discovered inthan ammonium nitrate. In 1909, Haber over the world, causing problems rangingthe Chilean desert. This was an excellentdemonstrated his process to the chemists from the manufacture of silicon chips forsource of nitrogen but would not last for- at the Badische Anilin und Soda Fabrik computers to shortages in fertilizer. Ah,ever. Many scientists predicted massive(BASF), who under the leadership of Karl fertilizer! To put it simply, fertilizer feedsstarvation when the saltpetre ran out.Bosch then worked out the final details the plants that feed the world. Russia andof the industrial large-scale manufacture Ukraine are prime producers of fertilizerof ammonia. Haber deservedly received and a disruption in production is set tothe Nobel Prize for his discovery, but his have global consequences.legacy remains tarnished by his involve-By the 1800s, scientists had begunment in producing chemical warfare to understand the nuances of agriculture.THE TENTACLES OFagents during World War 1.Russia both Through photosynthesis, carbon diox- Today Ukraine and ide from the air supplied plants with theTHE TRAGIC WAR INhave extensive facilities to produce fer-carbon and oxygen they need for growth.tilizer for their own use and for export. Hydrogen, also required, was availableTHE UKRAINE AREBesides nitrogen fertilizers that also from water. But potassium, phospho- REACHING ALL OVERproduce potash, a source of potassium. rous and nitrogen, all essential, had toInterestingly, in this case Canada may be supplied by the soil. Once the earthTHE WORLD. benefit from a reduction of exports from was depleted of these minerals, it wouldthe Ukraine and Russia since the country become infertile. The situation could behas a large potash industry. Ukraine and remedied, the minerals replenished, andRussia are also huge producers of natural the soil made fertile again by ploughinggas (methane) that is needed to react with in manure or plant wastes. Unfortunately,steam to make the hydrogen required for it was also becoming clear that even thethe Haber-Bosch synthesis of ammonia. most efficient recycling of waste productsGerman chemist Fritz Haber turnedUkraines production of potash and ammo-as fertilizer would not be enough to sus- his attention to this problem in 1904. Asnia has been significantly disrupted by the tain the growing population. Supplyinghe saw it, the solution lay in finding a waywar and Russias exports have been hit by nitrogen for crops was a particular prob- to make use of the vast amount of nitrogensanctions. As a result, the worlds food lem. This may seem strange since about 78available from the atmosphere. Two yearssupply is affected. While we may only note per cent of the air is made up of nitrogen.earlier, Carl von Linde had succeeded inthis at the cash register, some areas of the But with the exception of legumes, plantsliquefying air by first compressing it anddeveloping world are likely to experience cannot use nitrogen in this elementalletting it expand rapidly, thereby coolingactual shortages and hunger.form. Legumes have bacteria growing onit. The liquid air he obtained was read- It is sad and very disturbing to see their roots that can convert the gaseousily separated into oxygen and nitrogenhow the same species that has produced nitrogen of the air into a usable form. Allby distillation. Haber found that if thisMendels, Newtons, Pasteurs and Einsteins, other crops, though, have to rely on com- nitrogen were reacted with hydrogenalso produces warmongers who care not pounds of nitrogen in the soil.under pressure, ammonia (NH3) formed.an iota about human life. 18IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'