In the past 5 years the fertilizer industry has developed and produced the following two innovations in crop nutrition:
1. UREA COATED (UC):
This product solves the problem of Nitrogen losses. Urea coated fertilizers have increased the Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) from 35-50 % to 95 %, allowing a single application at a rate of 50% of the conventional fertilization methods, while reducing the N fertilization cost per hectare in the same level of the commodity fertilizers.
2. NPK+ME based on Potassium Nitrate (NPK-NOP):
Potassium Nitrate is the purest and most concentrated Potassium source, free of harmful elements (such as Cl and SO3), which create stressful conditions in the root zone of young plants.
My opinion is that blends of the above fertilizers are fulfilling all the conditions of the IF I have
mentioned in my previous article here
Let's examine them one by one:
♦ The IF must cover all crop needs for one season (YES)
♦ The IF must be applied once and does not require to enter into the field many times (YES)
♦ The IF must be protected from losses such as various Nitrogen fertilizers (YES)
♦ The IF must be protected from fixation to soil clay particles such as Phosphates (YES when the Phosphate is coated)
♦ The cost of application must be the minimum possible (YES since we use reduced rates, while gaining the same yield)
♦ The cost per hectare of the IF must be at least equal or less than current commodity fertilizers (YES)
♦ The IF must withstand unfavorable weather conditions (very low temperatures, heavy rain, stress) (YES)
CONCLUSION:
Today the fertilizer industry is very close to the production of the IDEAL FERTILIZER (IF) and we, as the
front line nutrition innovators, must spread the information to the farmer level.
