Granule-mounted micronutrients not available in Canada, you say? Pity, says the Winnipeg company that is manufacturing the product.
Wolf Trax has been in the business of manufacturing foliar-applied micronutrients for more than a decade, but some of its most popular new products are being stuck right onto the granular fertilizer, or prills.
By attaching nutrients, the company is sticking its dry, dispersible and finely powdered minerals as close to the plant roots as possible.
Jayleen Brydon of Wolf Trax said the technology is popular with corn producers looking to place more zinc in close contact with early season roots.
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“It works in conjunction with other seed treatments and provides the earliest possible plant uptake, but you can’t get it in Canada yet,” she said.
“The (Pest Management Regulatory Agency) is a hurdle that so far it might not be worth having to cross for the company.”
She said Wolf Trax has found greater acceptance of its products in the United States, in higher value crops and where the cost of meeting regulatory approvals are closer in line with the size of the potential markets.
“The returns are higher in those markets so we invest in getting approvals there,” she said.
“The cost of testing is too high here at home. We are hoping that in the future there will some harmonization or acceptance of American approved products in Canada so we don’t have to pay to reinvent the wheel.”
The company markets the products in the U.S., Mexico and Europe and targets crops such as apples, corn, field beans, potatoes and some cereals.
It is marketing copper, boron, zinc, iron, calcium and manganese.
