All water-soluble fertilizers look very similar from the outside. They may have different types of packaging either paper or plastic bags, and they are generally packed in 25-pound bags. Once we go beyond the outside similarities, we need to look very closely at many characteristics to be sure we are using the best product for your crops and getting the most for your money. Be sure to consider factors like: solubility, purity, your application, manufacturing, quality control, micronutrients and types of dye.
Fertilizer solubility is affected by several factors. The first is the purity of the ingredients. There are different grades of raw materials used in the manufacturing process. The better fertilizers use horticultural grades of N, P and K, which are more pure and usually dissolve more readily and leave no residue in your stock tank. The second factor is the grind of the fertilizer. A very small grind goes into solution quickly, but tends to absorb moisture and hardens quickly in the bag. Larger grinds stay softy, but tend to be more difficult to dissolve. Manufactures are always working to find the best size particle to get the best balance of hardness and solubility.
The crops you grow and your water quality play a major part in the fertilizer or fertilizers that you use. Do you use nitrogen or calcium base fertilizer, or a blend of both types? Knowing you crops fertilizer needs plays a major factor in your choices. Do you have high alkalinity water? Think of alkalinity as the amount of dissolved limestone in your water. The higher the alkalinity the more limestone your water adds to the soil every time you water your plants. This results in the soil pH rising over time. We can control the pH of your soil by using potentially basic or potentially acidic fertilizers.
The manufacturing process is very important in the making of WSF. The best fertilizers are made in a very controlled environment. A controlled environment permits control over factors like: solubility, pH, soluble salts, particle size or grind, color, and moisture content. Controlling the above factors allows for a uniform and consistent product.
Does your fertilizer have a good quality control department? Monitoring the addition of macro and micro elements needs to be exact to be sure the fertilizer meets all specifications. Does your fertilizer company test each batch of fertilizes to be sure the analysis is accurate. The best companies keep samples of each batch after testing for up to two years in case a customer has a problem.
There are several types of dyes available. Remember the staining dyes that turned your hand and anything they touched blue. Some fertilizers still use-staining dyes. The trend today is to add non-staining dyes that wash off most surfaces readily.
Micronutrients are available in three forms: chelates, sulfates, and fritted. Chelates are large organic structures that encircle micronutrients and hold them tightly together. This tight bond protects the micronutrient from precipitation and oxidation. The plant roots absorbs the chelates and then releases it inside the plant as needed. Sulfate forms are usually much less expensive and are usually used to correct nutrient deficiencies. The plant roots absorb them individually. Sulfate forms tend to be oxidized by the air into insoluble forms and can be tied up at higher soil pHs. Fritted micronutrients dissolve slowly over time releasing nutrient over a long time.
Choosing the best WSF for your operation sounds like an easy task, but be sure to look at all the above factors before you make a final decision. I know you have heard this before You get what you pay and I cant think of a situation where it is truer. That inexpensive WSF looks very appealing, but which of the above factors were compromised to justify their final cost.
By
Alan Miller
BFG Supply Company
Plant Health and Nutrition Department
www.bfgsupply.com
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