Novel product unlocks soil phosphorus reserves
Many high calcium or high pH soils might appear to have adequate P indexes, but most of this essential nutrient is bound up as insoluble calcium phosphate and is not available to the crop, says Chris Martin, Agrovistas head of soil health.
Phosphorus is critical for crop growth, playing a key role in cell biochemical functions and cell division. It is required in relatively large quantities during important plant development phases such as seed germination and rooting, as well as flowering and seed production.
Applying bagged fertiliser can help meet demands, but this can be expensive and inefficient. Depending on soil type and pH, as much as 90% of P applied in this form can also become insoluble and locked up, often within days, says Mr Martin.
If you can make use of whats already in the soil, you can make significant reductions in both inputs and costs. By applying Phosphorus Liberator, growers could potentially free up significant amounts of P from the soil, reducing fertiliser bills and improving phosphate efficiency from applied phosphate fertilisers and manures.
Phosphorus Liberator contains carboxylic acid, which solubilises calcium phosphate. This keeps the phosphate in solution, making it available for uptake through plant roots.
The product can be applied through a conventional sprayer pre-drilling or tank mixed with a wide range of pre-emergence herbicides at rates tailored to soil P levels and crop need. It is effective over a wide temperature range, is biodegradable and not classified as hazardous to the environment.
Phosphorus Liberator could also have significant environmental benefits, says Mr Martin. Reducing phosphate pollution into water courses continues to be a key driver in the UK meeting Water Framework Directive obligations, and if the situation does not improve dramatically, legislation could very easily limit or even prevent phosphate applications across many fields throughout the UK.
As the regulatory landscape changes in terms of fertiliser use, Phosphorus Liberator could become a go-to tool for those needing to unlock currently inaccessible nutrients within the soil, therefore reducing the reliance on traditional nutritional solutions.
Trial results
Assessments carried out on a range of crops this season have reinforced earlier work demonstrating the value of Phosphorus Liberator.
Last autumn, oilseed rape plots treated with Phosphorus Liberator at 10 l/ha had twice the root weight compared with those treated with DAP alone at 165 kg/ha, thanks to a 61% uplift in plant numbers and a 31% increase in individual plant root weights.
In winter wheat, a crop assessment conducted in Suffolk in January 2020 showed a dramatic increase in rooting when Phosphorus Liberator was applied compared with untreated. Root weight was up by 43% at the 5 l/ha rate and by 100% at the 10 l/ha rate.
The effect was still evident the following April. Tiller assessment showed the treated plots (5 l/ha and 10l/ha respectively) had 1.56 and 1.62 tillers per plant excluding the main stem, compared with 1.13 for the untreated. Where compound P had also been used, the figures were 1.84, 1.88 and 1.34 tillers respectively.
Spring beans showed an even bigger increase overall. Plant numbers rose by 69% and foliar and root weights by 133% and 122% respectively when treated with Phosphorus Liberator compared with untreated plots.
To read more, visit https://www.agrovista.co.uk/phosphorus-liberator
You can read this update from Agrovista on TFF's AGVendor...
Website - www.agrovista.co.uk
