KAMSACK — Farmers have learned that rain falling on crops while lightning strikes add nitrogen to the soil and that is the basis for an innovation being promoted by a Kamsack farming family.
“Our company, Nytro Ag Corp, is the licensed distributor of the Green Lightning equipment,” Chris Nykolaishen said on behalf of the Nykolaishen family.
“We’re the exclusive retailer for Green Lightning,” he said, explaining that Green Lightning is a mechanism created to replicate a naturally occurring process that leads to nitrogen.
During a lightning storm, static electricity rearranges the nitrogen molecules in the air, and these modified molecules are contained within the rain wetting the soil. The high temperature of a lightning bolt can break the bonds of atmospheric nitrogen molecules. Free nitrogen atoms in the air bond with oxygen in the air to create nitrogen oxides, which dissolve in moisture to form nitrates that are carried to Earth's surface by precipitation.
Representing Nytro Ag Corp, Nykolaishen and R.J. Grieve attended the Western Canadian Crop Production Show held in Saskatoon Jan. 14 to 16, when the company was named one of the three finalists for the Show’s Innovation Award for its Green Lightning Nitrogen Machine.
The award recognizes the exhibitors who provide solutions that address both new and ongoing needs in farming.
Nykolaishen and Grieve also attended the Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon Jan. 21 to 23, which is billed as Canada's largest indoor farm show, and is an exposition of agricultural production expertise, technology, and equipment that was expected to attract more than 550 exhibitors as well as visitors from across Canada and the United States.
“It was a typical trade show, but we had a busy booth,” Nykolaishen said after having attended that show and another conference in Winnipeg.
Nykolaishen explained that about two years ago Nytro got involved with Green Lightning, but the agreement for the distribution license was only reached during the summer of 2024. The process uses electricity to pull the nitrogen out of the air and fixes it to water.
“We began providing the machine last year.
“We’ve been selling the machines, which are being manufactured in Kentucky, and collecting data. We’re still in a soft release, but in another year we’ll be able to do a full launch after only three years of research and development, rather than the usual five to seven years.
“We can’t make the units fast enough.”
The equipment makes nitrogen at one-fifteenth the cost of synthetic nitrogen, he said. Where synthetic nitrogen processes make nitrogen from 65 cents to a dollar per pound, Green Lightning makes it for four to six cents a pound.
“We’re focused on machine sales now,” he said, adding that plans are to construct a plant, in either Kamsack or Yorkton, to make Green Lightning nitrogen for sale.
“Create liquid fertilizer from air on your farm,” says the greenlightning.ag website. “A greener solution to combat fertilizer pollution. Grow healthier plans and create more profit for farmers through on-site nitrogen production.
“Get excited about farming again,” it said. “Green Lightning has figured out how to cut costs while producing more yield in the simplest form: fertilizing naturally, just the way God intended. Increase farm profitability by decreasing fertilizer costs.”
According to the website, the Green Lightning nitrogen machine, which is said to be easy to operate, can produce 36,500 gallons of product a year using 1,100 watts of electricity per hour on 110v current and includes a specialty water softener and a reverse osmosis system attachment.
The nitrogen in water can be applied to the fields using a regular sprayer, Nykolaishen explained.
