Why is PhosMate so good?

Humate is getting a fair amount of scientific interest at the moment and this interest is justified. This recent Aussie insight gives us an idea as to why the Lime, phosphate and Humate in Phosmate works so well.

 

Titre du document / Document title

The use of Ca-modified, brown-coal-derived humates and fulvates for treatment of soil acidity

Auteur(s) / Author(s)

PEIRIS Damayanthi ⁽¹⁾ ; PATTI Antonio F. ^{(1 2)} ; JACKSON W. Roy ⁽¹⁾ ; MARSHALL Marc ⁽¹⁾ ; SMITH Christopher J. ⁽³⁾ ;

Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)

⁽¹⁾ Centre for Green Chemistry and School of Chemistry, PO Box 23, Monash University, Vic. 3800, AUSTRALIE
⁽²⁾ School of Applied Sciences, Monash University, Vic 3800, AUSTRALIE
⁽³⁾ CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 1666, Canberra, ACT 2601, AUSTRALIE

Résumé / Abstract

Previous workers have demonstrated the amelioration of soil acidity with Ca-saturated, at least slightly soluble, organic materials. This study investigated the effectiveness of a new source of such materials, the humate- or fulvate-rich products of oxidation (hydrogen peroxide) of Loy Yang brown coal. The products were characterised by physical and spectroscopic measurements and by elemental analysis. Two products, one approximately half fulvate (fulvate-rich), the other predominantly humate (humate-rich) were mixed with CaCl₂ and then used to treat columns of an acid red podzol soil from Book Book, NSW. Leachate fractions were collected and analysed for pH, ionic strength, and concentration of Ca, Mg, K, Mn, Fe, and Al. After leaching (3 pore volumes), each soil column was sectioned and exchangeable Ca and Al contents were determined. The results were compared with those obtained from lime-treated and untreated columns. The Ca-fulvate-rich product was the most effective in lowering the exchangeable Al content of the soil whilst increasing exchangeable Ca and soil pH. About 90% of the reduction in exchangeable Al was due to loss of Al in the leachate rather than immobilisation. The pH increased over the top 15 cm of the column from 3.8 ± 0.1 to 4.5-5.4. The Ca-humate-rich oxidised product was less effective in ameliorating soil acidity, as expected from its chemical properties, but it increased soil pH (to 4.0-4.7) and exchangeable Ca in the top 6 cm of the column and decreased exchangeable Al in the top 12 cm. More of the reduction in exchangeable Al than for the treatment with Ca-fulvate-rich material was due to conversion to an immobile form. This material was superior to lime, which only gave significant improvement near the soil surface. The leachates from treated columns contained the same amounts of Mg, Mn, and K as a control, but more Fe was leached from treated columns, particularly that treated with the Ca-fulvate-rich product.

Revue / Journal Title

Australian journal of soil research   ISSN 0004-9573   CODEN ASORAB

New Product pHosMate designed to improve phosphate efficiency even further.

 

Any old amount is not good enough…..

Fertco advocates heavy use of customising fertiliser requirements to exactly what farmers need – not willy nilly spread as much as you can philosophies….. this is important for both the farm and environment…. here’s why.

China using 'mind blowing' amount of fertiliser

Ecologist

14th February, 2009

Overuse of nitrogen fertilisers in China is leading to rapid soil acidification and is causing lasting damage to ecosystems, according to soil study

Nitrogen fertilisers used to increase crop yields in China are having ‘extreme’ environmental consequences, according to a study from leading soil scientists.
Scientists from China, the UK and the United States measured the pH of soil samples taken from agricultural land across China in the 1980s and 2000s and found widespread acidification caused by nitrogen fertilisers.
On average, the pH of soil across the country had decreased by 0.5 in 20 years. In parts of Hunan province, in south China, the pH of the soil had dropped to between 3 and 4.
Most crops are suited to a neutral range between pH 6 and pH 8.

Intensification drive
Dr Goulding, head of soil science at Rothamsted Agricultural Research Centre, said Chinese farmers had been encouraged to use more fertilisers to drive up yields, but had not been warned about the risks.

‘The message from the Chinese government was very simple: put nitrogen fertiliser on your crops and get more yield. The result in many parts of the country is extreme acidification,’ said Goulding.
Professor Peter Vitousek of Stanford University, who worked on the study, said the amount of fertiliser being used in China was ‘mind-blowing.’
‘Whereas on a grain farm in Illinois, an average of 200 kg of nitrogen fertiliser are being used per hectare, on a maize farm in China that could be as much as 800 kg per hectare.
‘More than half of that is not going into the crop: instead it's having grave environmental consequences downwind and downstream,’ he said.

Cutting fertiliser usage
Professor Vitousek said the research had shown that farmers could cut the amount of nitrogen fertilisers used almost in half without affecting yields.
'This would be an absolute benefit to the environment and farmer costs,’ he said.

Emerging Markets view…. fertiliser

VALE Is Expanding Into Fertilizers With $1bn Stake in Fosfertil (Equities Analysts view)

This is great news. Our favorite mining company in addition to a dominant position in the iron ore markets they have deftly expanded into other minerals and now fertilizers. Vale’s Finance Director, Fabio Barbosa, stated, “Our perception is that the rapid per capita income growth in emerging markets will have a big impact on demand for protein, so there will be a structural shift in the demand for [fertiliser] which has only limited supply.” Per capita income growth in big emerging economies is the theme song for all of our investments!  As investors, we can buy better value at a better price and lower risk than developed markets.

It will also be very interesting to see if Vale begins purchasing their own ships in order to deliver ore to spot markets instead of relying on customers to collect.

Fonterra Invests In China

Fonterra has announced that it intends to invest in two more dairy farms in China to continue growing a high quality and secure supply milk on the ground.

Philip Turner, Managing Director for Fonterra China, said that the Chinese dairy industry is continuing to develop quickly but that the current supply of high quality fresh milk cannot keep up with demand.

“We are looking to help grow a safe, secure and sustainable milk supply in China in order to meet this demand and expand our customer base.”

The China dairy market is set to become the world’s largest dairy market in the next few decades and is forecast to experience double digit annual growth over the next 10 years. The Chinese Government has acknowledged that the development of the dairy farming industry is not only crucial for meeting the growth in demand, but also for developing rural communities and their livelihoods.

Mr Turner said Tangshan Fonterra Farm, Fonterra’s pilot farm in Hangu established in 2007, had succeeded in demonstrating that Fonterra can successfully produce New Zealand standard milk in China. It has reached target production levels ahead of timetable and is producing record levels of milk for China.

“We are confident that with further investment in good technology, people and high quality genetics, we can replicate this model on further farms. This will complement our New Zealand milk supply and help us better meet the needs of our key customers, who are increasingly looking for local sourcing capability.”

Fonterra has identified several possible sites for the new farms in Hebei Province and will consider partnering on the investment. However, Mr Turner said Fonterra would want to have full management of the farms.

“It is important that we keep the next two farms in close proximity to Tangshan Fonterra Farm in order to achieve efficiencies in transport, milk supply and Fonterra management.”

Mr Turner said due diligence was already underway and the aim was to complete the final long-term lease agreement by mid-2010.

Tangshan Fonterra Farm is already producing its second generation of China born heifers, following two successful rounds of calving since the farm was first established. The total herd has grown to nearly 5800 cows, around half of which have been raised from the original imported herd of Friesians.

Each of the new farms is planned to be of similar size to Hangu, with around 35 hectares of land and around 3300 milking cows, creating employment and training opportunities for 350 people in Hebei Province.

Tangshan Fonterra Farm manager and experienced veterinarian Todd Meyer said the second round of calving was proof that Fonterra had successfully adapted the New Zealand-quality herd to the farming environment in China.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better result. We have introduced new China-born blood into our herd and are meeting our production targets for high quality local milk.”

TheCattleSite News Desk

Dominance of N

 

Sharp fall in use of P and K

 

15 December 2009

THE latest figures from fertiliser trade organisation the International Fertilizer Industry Association indicates farmers in several countries have been postponing applications of phosphorus and potassium in response to the current volatility in grain and input prices.

According to the IFA, total consumption in 2008/09 was down 6.7 per cent, to 156.4 million tonnes of nutrients for the three main nutrients NP and K.

Consumption is estimated to have contracted much more sharply for P and K fertilisers, down 10.5 and 19.8 per cent, respectively, than for N, which was only down 1.5 per cent.

Demand increased in South Asia and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, remained fairly stable in Africa and declined in all other regions. Some of the largest changes in volumes occurred in Western and Central Europe – down 4.3mt and North America – down 3.4 mt.

The IFA is forecasting a recovery in N use in 2010, a small increase in P consumption and a continuing decline in K consumption.