My last post (24th January 2016) dealt with the impact of nitrogen leaching to groundwater. Once this problematic process is there, the question is what can be done in order to fully control the Nitrogen management in the agriculture soil?
Haifa MulticoteTM Agri, Polymer coated Fertilizer- a Controlled Release Fertilizer (CRF) is a fertilizer coated with thin layer of polymer. Water penetrates the coating and beings to dissolve the fertilizer granule. Osmotic pressure is been build inside the capsule and water with dissolved fertilizer begins to Diffuse out of the Capsule, while fresh water keeps entering the Capsule.
Diffusion speed is governed by Temperature. When is get cold, the release is slowed down. When the soil is warming, the release is faster. Just like plant response to warm condition Vs. cold conditions.
After years of trials and tests we know that when we apply Multicote Agri we can reduce the NPK volume given by farmer before. Sometime the reduction is very dramatic. Less fertilizer with similar of better outcomes= higher efficiency, nearly no leaching. No volatilization of Ammonia.
In a trial held in Haifa R&D greenhouse, drainage was collected from irrigated clean sand pots. Ammonium Nitrate, Urea and polymer coated Urea (2 month Longevity) had been mixed into the sand. No plants were planted.
The accumulated N (Mg/l) was summed in the Graph as shown above. Given 2 months cycle crop like lettuce, with the right dosage, nearly no N is found in Drainage.
Using CRF in agriculture, due to the high efficiency of the fertilizer there are clear advantages:
• Reduction of applied nutrients per area
• Reduction of fertilizer number of applications
• Reduction in leaching and volatilizations -environmentally friendly
Finally, when checking this issue from the grower's point of view it is clear that by using CRF he can :
o save on labor
o save on fuel and engine hours
o Save on headache- for the right timing of applying fertilizer before the rain
o Prevent nitrogen leaching to groundwater and keep a sustainable agricultural soil
