Western Canadian farmers have another option to pour in their fertilizer tanks this spring to help deal with chronically sulfur-deficient soil.
Cargill will increase production of MicroEssentials S15, a granular fertilizer built like an onion, with each granule made up of layers of nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur.
John Waterer, Cargill’s country agronomist, said embedding sulfur in each granule of fertilizer ensures the proper amount of nutrient reaches each plant, rather than distributing it in clumps along the seed bed in a traditional fertilizer mixture.
“By having sulfur in every granule, (it) creates a far more even distribution of sulfur across the field,” Waterer said.
Read Also
Powdery mildew can be combine fire risk
Dust from powdery mildew can cause fires in combines.
The granule contains two kinds of sulfur: ammonium sulfate and elemental sulfur, each wrapped in onion skin-type layers. Ammonium sulfate is instantly available to the plants, but can be toxic to developing seedlings.
Elemental sulfur is a slow release fertilizer and needs the help of soil bacteria in warm, moist soil to make it available to plants throughout the growing season.
Waterer said the combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur in the 13-33-0-15 analysis makes ammonium sulfate safe for emerging seeds.
Increasingly farmers want to apply fertilizer with seed from the drill or air seeder, but the seed can be damaged if fertilizer is applied too close. Putting the fertilizer too far away from the seed can reduce its efficiency. In a traditional fertilizer mixture, there is no guarantee the dribble of nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus will flow from the fertilizer applicator in a uniform fashion.
Don Flaten, a University of Manitoba soil science professor, said he’s excited about the new product.
Last summer the university conducted fertilizer trials using S15 to see if it benefited plants. He is still waiting for results of plant tissue samples from canola and wheat to see how nutrients accumulated.
Previous research at the university with combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur fertilizer showed it is beneficial to combine nitrogen and sulfur in the same area as phosphorus.
“There were some benefits we saw in basic research trials in the 1980s and ’90s.”
The Cargill fertilizer is a commercialization of that type of basic research.
“We’re excited about it. There’s a possibility that there might be some synergies,” Flaten said.
Aaron Baldwin, a Cargill agronomy manager in Saskatchewan, said the fertilizer was designed for western Canadian soil that tends to be sulfur deficient and alkali and can tie up phosphorus before it is available to the plant.
“It’s a fertilizer product designed for western Canadian conditions.”
The combination of phosphorus and sulfur creates a chemical reaction that increases phosphorus available to the plant.
That combination allows canola to mature more quickly and reduces green seed content. In wheat, it increases protein.
“It’s a very good and revolutionary product,” Baldwin said.
Bill Wilford, Cargill’s marketing manager for fertilizer, said the fertilizer was used last year on about 200,000 acres and he expects an increase this year.
Wilford said the S15 doesn’t replace traditional blends of fertilizer, but fills a niche market.
About 25 percent less fertilizer per acre is required because of the combination of elements that decrease storage and handling.
