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Product Science

The Background

Over the years, Mosaic customers have requested products that include essential secondary nutrients (such as sulfur) as well as micronutrients (such as zinc). So the Mosaic research and development team developed a truly innovative product—a new form of fertilizer that produces higher yields and provides greater returns to dealers and growers. But it wasn’t easy. A new technology and unique manufacturing process had to be developed.

Why Zinc

Zinc is essential for the normal healthy growth and reproduction of plants. When the supply of plant-available zinc is inadequate, crop yields are reduced and the quality of crop products is frequently impaired. 

In plants, zinc plays a key role as a structural constituent or regulatory co-factor of a wide range of different enzymes in many important biochemical pathways and these are mainly concerned with:

• Carbohydrate metabolism, both in photosynthesis and in the conversion of sugars to starch
  
• Protein metabolism
• Auxin (growth regulator) metabolism
• Pollen formation
• The maintenance of the integrity of biological membranes
• The resistance to infection by certain pathogens

When the supply of zinc to the plant is inadequate, one or more of the many important physiological functions of zinc is unable to operate normally and the growth of the plant is adversely affected. The changes in plant physiological mechanisms brought about by a deficiency of zinc result in the plant developing visible symptoms of stress which might include one or more of the following: interveinal chlorosis (yellowing of the leaves between the veins), bronzing of chlorotic leaves, small and abnormally shaped leaves, stunting and rosetting (leaves form a whorl on shortened stems). These different types of symptoms vary with plant species and are only clearly displayed in cases of severe deficiency. In cases of marginal or moderate deficiency, plants can often have greatly reduced yields (<40% reduction) without obvious visible symptoms. This is often called 'hidden', 'latent' or 'sub - clinical' deficiency. These deficiencies may remain undetected in crop land for many years unless soil or plant diagnostic tests are carried out because there are no obvious signs of stress.

Losses of yield of 40% or more in many zinc deficient soils have a major economic impact on the farmer due to the reduced income as a result of lost yield. Zinc deficient soils can be identified, or diagnosed, by soil testing, or the analysis of the crop plants (usually leaves). The results obtained from soil and/or plant analysis can be compared with critical values for zinc in local soil types for specific crops and a decision made on whether or not zinc fertilizer applications to the soil or crops are required.

Very many plant species are affected by zinc deficiency on a wide range of soil types in most agricultural regions of the world. The major staple crops: rice, wheat, maize and sorghum are all affected by deficiency, together with many different fruit, vegetable and other types of crops including cotton and flax.

The soil conditions most commonly giving rise to deficiencies of zinc can include one or more of the following: 

• Low total zinc content (such as sandy soils with low contents of organic matter) 
  
• Neutral or alkaline pH
• High salt concentrations (saline soils)
• High calcium carbonate content (calcareous soils)
• Low pH, highly weathered parent materials (e.g. tropical soils)
• Peat and muck (organic soils)
• High phosphate status
• Prolonged waterlogging or flooding (paddy rice soils)
• High magnesium and/or bicarbonate concentrations (and in irrigation water)

An adequate supply of zinc is essential for obtaining cost effective yields of crops all over the world. The cost to the farmer of lost production is high but the expense of applying zinc fertilizer when crop symptoms, soil tests or plant analysis show that they are required is relatively low. No farmer in areas where soils have been shown to be deficient can afford not to maintain an adequate zinc status in his soils.

Source: International Zinc Association

12 Times More Zinc!

Plant roots can make contact with 12 times more zinc granules with MicroEssentials SZ versus zinc alone.

Sulfur

Since the passage of the Clean Air Act sulfate levels precipitated from the atmosphere have decreased by as much as 75%. This reduction, along with the use of more concentrated phosphate fertilizers and the reduced use of sulfur-containing crop protection chemicals, has put sulfur on the list of primary nutrients.

Sulfur is vital to a plant's growth in the production of amino acids and proteins. Low sulfur availability is related to low soil organic matter, sandy textures, low soil temperatures and erosion.

The reductions in sulfur sources, combined with crop yield responses, indicate that a significant opportunity to increase quality and yield is missed when sulfur is not added to your starter fertilizer.

Sulfur Distribution Comparison in Broadcast Applications

The Result

MicroEssentials combines the correct ratios of different vital nutrients into uniform granules, with each granule formed much like the partial layers of an onion's skin. Each granule has the same analysis, so MicroEssentials get spread across the field more uniformly than is possible when the nutrients are added separately in a blend. Component segregation of the nutrients is eliminated. Single granule feeding means the  two forms of sulfur and/or zinc are more evenly distributed.

The Benefit

MicroEssentials works better than other fertilizers for several reasons. First, the granules are formed in a way that allows plants to absorb them more easily. The consistent granules also allow nutrients to be spread uniformly, ensuring that each and every plant gets the nutrients it needs. MicroEssentials is a versatile product that works well as a starter, a direct application fertilizer or bulk blend ingredient.

The MicroEssentials line of fertilizer products provides a more efficient way to deliver crop nutrients needed to help improve a grower’s bottom line. The benefits of using MicroEssentials go beyond simple farm economics. Every MicroEssentials granule contains the nutrients required for optimal crop growth. And, improved nutrient uptake means less waste of applied fertilizer and greater efficiency.

The Choice

Not all soil is created equal, so we developed three different MicroEssentials products to match various soil fertility needs . MicroEssentials SZ, MicroEssentials S15 and MicroEssentials S10. Each one was developed with the patented manufacturing process that combines the correct ratios of the vital nutrients into uniform granules.