GUIDE OF FERTILIZERS STORAGE BEST PRACTICES
STORAGE BEST PRACTICES CAN PROLONG FERTILIZER’S EFFECTIVENESS AND QUALITY
Without proper storage, the most immediate impact is a complete loss of product. This loss of product happens in specific ways among which we find:
Caking
When stored fertilizers are exposed to humidity, the granules clump together, creating a caking effect and greatly reducing a fertilizer’s flowability. Not only can this occur in warm temperatures, but it is also possible during colder seasons, due to the condensation that forms inside improperly sealed storage areas.
Leaking and spills
Fertilizer shelf-life is further impacted by leaks and spills, which happen when fertilizer is not stored in the right conditions. Product can be lost to soil and water sources, which can also create danger for product contamination.
Segregation
Fertilizers are made up of particles of different sizes. During handling and transportation, the larger particles tend to separate from the smaller ones resulting in heterogeneity. This phenomenon of segregation leads to a degradation of the granulometric dispersion of the fertilizer which will alter the quality of the spreading.
Despite these challenges, by using a handful of best practices, one can easily prolong fertilizer shelf-life and preserve its chemical strength and effectiveness.
Storage Best practicesBulk material
Bulk material storage
- The fertilizer storage area must have proper ventilation.
- All fertilizer should be stored on a surface that’s dry, level, and free of any holes.
- Fertilizers should be moved out of the store in the order in which they were received, following the principle of “first in first out”, as far as this is practicable
- Clean the storage area before putting fertilizers into the store and when switching from one product to another.
- The height of bulk heaps is generally restricted by a minimum distance of 1 m from eaves, beams, the overhead conveyor (or its platform) and light fittings whichever is the lowest point. This is to avoid affecting the fertilizers with, for example, input of heat and contamination.
- Most fertilizers are hygroscopic and therefore when stored in bulk may absorb moisture from humid air .Appropriate precautions should, therefore, be taken to protect them from moisture uptake. This can be achieved by covering the heaps with water-impermeable sheeting. Keep the doors of the building closed as much as possible.
- Fertilizers are normally put into stores at temperatures of about 30°C to 55°C; higher temperatures should be avoided to prevent caking.
- When storing different fertilizer products and non-fertilizer materials in the same area they should be well separated to prevent cross-contamination.
- Segregation should be minimized through correct handling in order to avoid that a changing particle size distribution would induce deviating properties of the product.
Packages
With packaged materials the risks of inadvertent contamination and moisture pick-up are substantially reduced and the package protects the product. Labelling of the package leads to easy identification of the product and, in some circumstances, it facilitates moving the material out of the danger area in the event of an emergency.
Indoors
The buildings should be in good order and capable of shielding the products from the weather
Outdoors
Be on level well-drained ground without projections or snags which could puncture or tear the packages.
Repeated temperature cycles may
cause physical deterioration of some products. This physical deterioration may result in the breakdown of the fertilizer particles and damage to packages. The product should be protected from direct sunlight by white plastic sheeting. This can best be achieved by resting the sheet on a single layer of pallets above the stack. The layer of pallets provides a thermal insulating effect.
It is good practice:
- To store the first layer of packages (50 kg bags or IBCs) on pallets to prevent damage from ground projections and to minimize water ingress from surface water.
- To protect the stacks with plastic sheeting against rain and dirt/dust. The sheeting, preferable white to reduce heat absorption, should be adequately secured against adverse weather conditions by, for example, ropes and/or weights. Care should be taken to avoid water accumulation on the sheets on top of the stack.
The maximum height of the stack should take into account stack stability, bag strength and safe handling when loading, unloading and sheeting.
Packages Requirements and Types
- Groups of bags may be palletized for stacking by fork lift truck or other appropriate means.
- The bags used for packaging fertilizers should be moisture proof and should be sealed or adequately closed so as to prevent ingress of moisture.
- They should show adequate resistance to deterioration caused by the climatic conditions to which they may be exposed.
- They should be resistant to contamination by water and oil. Polythene and polypropylene bags are widely used for this reason.
- Micro vents are generally provided in bags for stack stability.
- Precautions are needed in handling operations to avoid puncturing the bags.
- The bags should be clearly labelled to indicate their contents.
Safety rules
Storage safety rules
- Access to all storage areas, whether indoors or out, should be permitted to authorised persons only.
- Stores should be kept securely locked when not in use.
- All storage areas should have clear identification of the materials stored.
- If you plan to store large bulk tanks, provide a containment area large enough to confine 125 percent of the contents of the largest bulk container.
- Keep the storage area locked and clearly labeled as a fertilizer storage area. Preventing unauthorized use of fertilizers reduces the chance of accidental spills or theft. Labels on the windows and doors of the building give firefighters information about fertilizers and other products present during an emergency response to a fire or a spill.
- Provide adequate road access for deliveries and use, and in making the storage area secure, also make it accessible, to allow getting fertilizers and other chemicals out in a hurry.
- Never store fertilizers inside a well house or a facility containing an abandoned well.
Compatibility
Packages
- Distribute loads evenly over the deck of the vehicle as far as is reasonably practicable in order to maintain stability.
- Sheet and securely fasten bagged material in a safe manner after loading. A safe system for the sheeting of the load on flat-bed Lorries or taut liners should be provided.
- For sea transportation, keep the use of wooden pallets and wooden dunnage to a minimum,
Transport Best PracticesBulk material
- Care should be taken to prevent spillages. This is valid for all loading/unloading areas with particular attention to be paid to multipurpose equipment such as weighbridges and transportable cranes.
- Do not load or unload when it is raining, snowing or hailing and make every reasonable effort to ensure that product does not become damp.
- For Road Transport :
- Ensure that the vehicle is clean and dry and is inspected prior to loading. This is important both from safety and quality points of view.
- Any vehicle used to transport fertilizer alternately with other products, e.g. animal feeding stuffs, should be adequately cleaned between each operation to avoid cross contamination.
- The load-carrying compartment should be constructed of impervious, not-readily combustible materials.
- An undamaged sheet should be used to cover the whole of the cargo carrying compartment adequately. The sheet should be of a suitable material (e.g. coated synthetic fibre.)
- For Sea transport:
- The holds of ships should be checked to ensure:
- Cleanliness (including on top of the beats)
- No moisture
- No impurities
- No electrical cables or lamps in contact with the cargo
- No soft wood in contact with the cargo
- No hot pipes and other potential sources of heat in contact with the cargo
- All hatches can be tightly closed prior to loading and are so closed after loading
- Consider the angle of repose, as material with a low value can shift during rough seas
- The holds of ships should be checked to ensure: