Phosphorus can sometimes be a tricky macronutrient to manage. Because it is held tightly to soil particles, it’s not prone to losses and can be built up over time. But that same holding capacity of a soil can mean that added phosphorus fertilizer and soil-held P isn’t always readily available to the crop.
There are a few options to try and manage phosphorus release, and Phospholutions offers a metal-oxide approach with its RhizoSorb mineral product.
Craig Dick, vice president of sales and marketing for Phospholutions, says that the product allows for more uptake of applied phosphorus fertilizer and delays tie-up of P in the soil.
While many trials and sales focus on corn, Dick says that the product has been proven on small grains, as well, especially with in-furrow applications at seeding.
“When you’re placing it in seed row, we see about a 38 per cent salt index reduction on a pound for pound basis, and on a per acre basis, up to 70 per cent salt index reduction. So that’s huge for small grains, when you’re trying to place a lot of phosphate down the seed row,” Dick says.
Phosphorus isn’t just important at seeding, however, and Dick adds that the RhizoSorb product slows down the soil phosphate interaction to keep the phosphate from tying up in the soil, so that it can consistently feed the crop all season long even with with a lower application rate.
Though not currently available in Canada, Dick says the company is working through the approval process to have it be released here.
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