A new tool is aimed at fighting P fixation.
Growers are getting a new ally in the fight against Phosphorus fixation, called P fixation, according to an article on GrowingProduce.com. Phosphorus is a main nutrient—one of the big three—and is responsible for a host of important plant processes. The product promises to address P fixation, offering many benefits, with the field trials to prove it; see the details below.
The Issue With P Fixation
Phosphorus is an important element, but it’s negative charge attracts the positive charge of elements like calcium, magnesium, iron, and aluminum, which are readily found in Florida soils—especially calcium. The two react, and this ‘fixes’ the phosphorus, making it unavailable for plants to use. According to a common rule of thumb, under 40% of a phosphorus application is actually taken up by crops.
Combating P Fixation
The formulation utilizes a polymer technology to create a protective shield around the phosphorus when it’s applied, protecting the phosphorus from fixation and ensuring more is available for plant uptake. In field trials, the availability of phosphorus for plant uptake increased by up to 45%. The benefits of this include:
- faster early growth
- improved plant performance
- stress mitigation
- higher produce quality
- increased yields
- reduction of phosphorus runoff
It’s approved for use in Florida and as is suggested for high volume phosphorus applications on crops such as potatoes, onions, sugar beets, vegetables crops, citrus crops, and many other specialty crops.
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.