Aqua Ammonia's Economic Potential as a Preservative for Stored High-Moisture Corn

Potential demand for treatment of onfarm stored corn is sufficient to justify a profitable local supply of aqua ammonia by farm supply firms that operate convertor units. A 500-ton (considered a minimum) seasonal output would necessitate about a $30 per ton supply price delivered at the farm. The supply price could decrease to about $22 per ton at a 4,000-ton output (maximum for small convertor plants). Aqua ammonia treatment costs would amount to only about one-third the usual drying costs and one-fourth to one-fifth the cost of treatment with organic chemicals. Additional potential advantages include: (1) less care and movement of stored grain, (2) added nonprotein nitrogen to stored grain, and (3) savings of the critically short gas energy used for drying.